New £7.7m tip will replace two existing sites
GoogleA plan has been approved to create a new £7.7m household waste recycling centre in east Lancashire.
Councillors at Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council have given the go-ahead for the new facility, which will be situated on Goose House Lane in Darwen.
It will replace two older facilities - Blackburn's George Street tip, which was branded "an embarrassment" by council leader Phil Riley - and Spring Vale Road in Darwen.
The plan was first mooted in 2022 but was shelved because of the cost-of-living crisis.
'Increase recycling rates'
Initially costed at about £5m, council leader Riley said it was "long overdue".
"The existing facility at George Street West is an embarrassment, he said. "I am really excited about this."
Opposition 4BwD group leader, councillor Mustafa Desai, agreed.
Environment boss councillor, Jim Smith, who proposed the move, said the George Street West household waste recycling centre was no longer able to meet demand efficiently, with residents having to wait up to 45 minutes in a queue of vehicles to use it.
He said Spring Vale Road, Darwen, was not as bad but still well short of the standards customers should expect.
Smith said the new centre – with separate access points for cars and trucks – should increase recycling rates in the borough by being quicker and easier to use.
The new site is expected to achieve a 70% recycling rate, with the potential to reach up to 78%, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.
The business case anticipates potential annual savings and additional income of £600,000.
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