New £3.5 Million recycling centre opens

The ribbon has been cut to mark the opening of a bespoke £3.5 million recycling centre and waste transfer station. The Lower House Farm Household Waste Recycling Centre and Waste Transfer Station, situated next to the Birch Coppice
Business Park off the M42/A5 Tamworth junction, was officially opened today by Cllr Jeff Clarke, Warwickshire County Council’s Portfolio Corporate Business and the Environment, and Cllr Mark Winnington, Cabinet member for Economy and Infrastructure at Staffordshire County Council, ahead of the gates opening to the public on Wednesday 12 June.

Designed and built by Colas Construction Ltd, the
split-level facility will handle 100,000 tonnes of waste
and includes a charity re-use shop operated by Warwickshire
Community Recycling. Serving the boroughs of North
Warwickshire, Tamworth, and Nuneaton and Bedworth, Lower
House Farm is jointly financed with Staffordshire County
Council.

Cllr Jeff Clarke, Warwickshire County Council’s Portfolio
Holder for Corporate Business and the Environment, said:
"Recycling rates are on the up in the county and the
opening of this fantastic new site in North Warwickshire is
a sign of our ambitions to continue to provide superb
facilities for residents to come and recycle as much
household waste as possible.

"Sharing the development and operating costs of Lower House
Farm between Warwickshire and Staffordshire has provided
the best value solution for the residents of both counties,
and ensures the site will be used to its full potential.

"Residents in North Warwickshire and their Tamworth
neighbours will no doubt welcome the opening of a
long-awaited recycling facility on their doorstep, and I am
proud that it has now come to fruition."

Staffordshire County Council’s cabinet member for economy
and infrastructure Mark Winnington said: "This new facility
for people in Tamworth will boost recycling rates, support
businesses and community groups.

"By pooling our resources with Warwickshire, we have been
able to achieve a facility of the highest quality and at
the best value for money. It will also complement
operations at the new waste to energy plant at Four Ashes
in South Staffordshire from next year – a facility which
will save £250million over 25 years and create jobs
locally. Lower House Farm will be good for people, the
environment and the economy."

Lower House Farm replaces Grendon Household Waste Recycling
Centre which closes on June 12. The new household waste
recycling centre is capable of taking 10,000 tonnes of
material a year and the proceeds from the purpose-built
charity reuse shop will benefit local community groups and
good causes across Warwickshire and Staffordshire through
the Heart of England Community Foundation and its sister,
Staffordshire Community Foundation.

The transfer station can handle up to 90,000 tonnes of
waste a year, of which 50,000 tonnes will be
kerbside-collected municipal waste from the three
collection authorities being delivered to Staffordshire’s
planned ‘Energy from Waste’ plant at Four Ashes, and the
remaining waste capacity at the facility will help small
businesses manage their waste.