Work on £32m waste centre completed

The centre will play a major role in Walsall Council's new waste strategy, the authority says

The construction of a £32 million waste centre, which will process 40,000 tonnes of rubbish per year, has been completed.

Located on Middlemore Lane in Aldridge, the centre is said to play a major role in Walsall Council's new waste strategy.

The site features 19 bays, each with two skips, and also a reuse shop to refurbish items that would otherwise be thrown away.

The council says it hopes the site will be opened to the public this year.

Adrian Andrew, the council's deputy leader and portfolio holder for economic growth and regeneration, said: "This project is a huge development for Walsall.

"What has been delivered here is truly a state-of-the-art facility, which will prove vital in ensuring we can continue to accommodate the waste demands we face in the borough."

He added: "Our current facilities have served us well, but this project will accommodate our increasing demand and help us all to recycle and reuse more of our waste."

The council said that in a bid to create a positive social impact, 69% of the workforce for the project was sourced locally, with operatives hired from within a 20-mile radius of the site.

Five graduates and 19 apprentices were also hired, while nine school visits offering students hands-on experience in the construction industry were held throughout the project's development.