Greater Manchester waste centres to reopen within two weeks

Some of Greater Manchester's 20 waste and recycling centres will reopen within two weeks, the region's mayor has said.

Andy Burnham said an agreement "in principle" had been struck between nine council leaders and Greater Manchester Combined Authority.

The authorities had been under pressure after Wigan Council, which controls its own waste, reopened three sites.

The government has urged councils to keep centres open to avoid fly-tipping.

The region's waste centres have been closed due to coronavirus social distancing concerns since 24 March.

Mr Burnham told the Local Democracy Reporting Service it was "likely that the partial reopening will happen within the next fortnight".

"That's good news for those wanting to take waste away from their home and for those who have concerns about fly-tipping, which we recognise," he said.

However, he added that the reopenings would be carefully monitored.

Liberal Democrat councillors in Stockport and Oldham and Conservatives in Trafford had called for Household Waste Recycling Centres to be opened following Wigan's decision.

Oldham Lib Dem councillor Howard Sykes said fly-tipping and litter problems had "gone through the roof", while Rochdale Council reported that fly-tipping had doubled since the closures.

Wigan Council leader David Molyneux said the decision to reopen was taken after listening to residents' concerns, but the authority's sites were subject to strict social distancing controls and no staff were allowed to help with unloading waste.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has urged councils to keep centres open "only if social distancing guidelines can be adhered to" amid growing reports of fly-tipping.