Bath and North East Somerset Council is facing criticism over plans to spend more than £10 million to build a new household waste recycling centre on Locksbrook Road, Bath. This new facility is intended to replace the existing Midland Road Recycling Centre, which will give way to housing development. However, campaigners argue that the costly new site offers significantly fewer recycling options than the current centre.
The Midland Road site, located just half a mile away, has been a valuable community asset, accepting a wide range of waste types, including DIY waste, electronics, hazardous materials, batteries, tyres, oil, asbestos, and gas bottles. The new Locksbrook Road centre, however, will accept only 80% of the waste volume currently handled and will no longer process many of these materials. Residents will instead have to travel to the Keynsham Recycling Centre on Pixash Lane to dispose of certain items.
The Stop the Tip campaign has voiced strong opposition, stating, “How do you spend £10 million and end up with a recycling centre that is inferior to the one it replaces? At a time when councils across the country face financial strain, B&NES appears to be spending lavishly while giving Bath residents less service for more money.”
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The financial breakdown reveals that converting the current council street cleaning depot at Locksbrook Road into the new recycling centre will cost about £5.05 million. Another £5.54 million is allocated to relocate the existing street cleaning depot to allow Midland Road to be redeveloped as the new housing site, bringing the total project cost to approximately £10.94 million—of which £840,000 has been pre-approved.
Despite the controversy, the council’s planning committee approved the Locksbrook Road plan by a 6-to-3 vote. The council insists that Locksbrook is the only feasible site for the new facility. However, campaigners have criticized the process for a “lack of transparency,” especially regarding alternative site assessments, which have only recently been disclosed.
A council spokesperson emphasized the extensive community engagement carried out before approving the project: “We listened carefully to feedback regarding trees, noise, lighting, traffic, and accessibility. The planning application was recently approved, and if the cabinet member endorses the next stage, work will begin this autumn with a contractor appointed promptly.”
Ultimately, the relocation will allow the Midland Road site to be developed into much-needed housing, including a mix of one, two, and three-bedroom homes for social rent, shared ownership, and market sale, as part of the Bath Western Riverside housing scheme.