Why it matters: The current Portman's Walk site has limited booking capacity and more restricted access from the public highway. The new facility will take significantly more bookings and offer improved accessibility and a safer, easier layout for residents.
The big picture: Suffolk County Council has secured planning permission, an environmental permit and ownership of the land on Whittle Road, the former Ipswich Borough Council depot, after a lengthy search for a suitable site to replace Portman's Walk. The new facility follows purpose-built recycling centres already delivered by the council at Foxhall Road in Ipswich and in Haverhill, with the Whittle Road site set to follow the same model.
The details: The majority of existing structures at the site will be demolished ahead of the purpose-built facility being constructed. Key features of the new centre will include:
A raised platform giving visitors an elevated position from which to safely dispose of waste, removing the need for steps
A one-way system and easy-to-use layout with clearly marked recycling bays
No need to close the facility to replace full containers
Improved accessibility and increased capacity for recycling and donating items for reuse
Greater separation between public and larger vehicles
Queuing capacity within the site and better access from the public highway
What they're saying: Councillor Chris Chambers, Suffolk County Council's cabinet member for transport strategy, planning and waste, said: "We've been searching for many years to find a new, viable site to upgrade Ipswich's public recycling facilities – I'm delighted that we can now deliver.
"The centre's new home on the Hadleigh Road Industrial Estate will be a significant improvement for recycling for the town and the surrounding area."
He added: "As we've seen from the county council's new sites at Foxhall Road and in Haverhill, we have great templates to make recycling easier and safer for residents."
The new site will be operated by FCC Environment, which manages all 11 of Suffolk's recycling centres.
Chris Ellis, operations director of FCC Environment's waste and recycling division, said: "We look forward to following up the successes of the newer sites at Foxhall Road and in Haverhill. Being able to operate a facility which is purpose-built for both residents and our teams makes for a more efficient and safer operation for everyone involved."
The bottom line: After a lengthy search, Ipswich is set to get a modern, purpose-built recycling centre that will make disposing of waste safer, easier and more accessible for residents across the town and surrounding area.
