Croydon residents asked to share their views on plans to upgrade Purley Oaks HRRC

Residents of Croydon are being encouraged to share their views on plans to upgrade Purley Oaks Household Reuse and Recycling Centre.  Croydon Council and Veolia (who operate the site on the council’s behalf) want to close the site for a two-week period in order to improve the layout and upgrade facilities.  

Many residents using the site during the month of June will be asked to complete a short survey seeking their views on the proposed upgrade before they leave.  The survey can also be completed online at www.croydon.gov.uk/purleyoaks and paper versions will be available on request from Purley Oaks HRRC site staff and local libraries.  All responses to the survey must be received by 1 July 2016.

Councillor Stuart Collins, Chair of the South London Waste Partnership Joint Committee and Cabinet Member for Clean Green Croydon, said:

“Hundreds of local people use Purley Oaks HRRC each day to recycle a wide variety of materials.  I’m delighted that local people are so keen to recycle but the site is struggling to cope with the increased demand.  The current layout means it is not operating as efficiently as it could and is resulting in longer-than-acceptable queue times.  There is also a possibility that recent changes to HRRCs in Surrey have added to the problem.

“There are a number of things we can do to improve the layout of the Purley Oaks site and significantly improve the user experience.  But this work would require the site to close for a two-week period.  I believe it is the right thing to do, but I am also keen to seek the views of local people who use the site on a regular basis.  We will use their feedback to help us plan the work carefully so we minimise disruption and deliver maximum benefit.”

Space constraints mean that the Purley Oaks site currently has to close several times each day while recycling containers are emptied.  Each closure can last up to 20 minutes.  The main aim of the upgrade would be to significantly reduce the number of times that site has to close during the day, thereby reducing queuing times.

During the temporary closure, residents would be able to use alternative facilities at Factory Lane and Fishers Farm.

Ends.

Notes to Editors

• In October 2015, the South London Waste Partnership awarded a contract to Veolia to manage the six Household Reuse and Recycling Centres (HRRCs) – more commonly known as ‘the tip’ – located across the four Partner Boroughs (Croydon, Kingston, Merton and Sutton).
• On behalf of the Partnership, Veolia is responsible for:
  • General management of the six sites – staffing, equipment and site layout improvements
  • The transportation of all materials, and
  • The recycling, treatment, and/or disposal of waste collected at all of the HRRC sites (excluding green and residual waste, which is handled by Viridor)
• The Partnership monitors the contract with Veolia using three key performance indicators:
  • Site user experience (measured through an annual satisfaction survey)
  • Health and safety
  • Recycling rate achieved – the target is a 70% recycling rate at each of the six sites
• Information about your local HRRC, including location, opening times and what materials you can recycle/dispose of there, are available from your local council’s website.