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.