Foxhall Recycling Centre opens early but £500k over budget

Suffolk County Council said the new design would increase capacity for cars on site, reduce queuing and improve access from Foxhall Road

Redevelopment work on a recycling centre has been completed ahead of schedule but £500,000 over budget.

Work on Foxhall Recycling Centre, on the edge of Ipswich, began in October 2022 and was due to finish in 2024.

The upgraded site has increased capacity for vehicles and improved access from Foxhall Road.

Suffolk County Council said rises in materials prices was to blame for the overspend, taking the total cost to £8.3m.

The site remained open throughout the build but service was reduced for business and trade customers and there were temporary restrictions on some waste types.

The scheme had been expected to cost £7.8m but went £500,000 over budget

Improved access from Foxhall Road is expected to reduce queuing on the highway, while a new raised-level construction will provide users with better access to containers without the need for stairs.

Improvements have also been made to the site's re-use shop, which sells furniture, sports equipment, kitchen supplies, books and toys.

• Jobs promised with new waste treatment plant plans

• DIY waste charges ban could push up council tax

• New split-level recycling centre gets go-ahead

Richard Smith, Suffolk County Council's cabinet member for Economic Development, Transport Strategy and Waste, described the new centre as a "state-of-the-art facility".

"This is a significant redevelopment of the county's busiest recycling centre which will serve the people of Suffolk for many years to come," he said.

The new site was designed by Concertus Design and Property Consultants, and built by R G Carter.

The council said: "The project was originally expected to cost £7.8m, but the increased cost of materials and high inflation since the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine resulted in the final cost of the refurbishment being £8.3m."

The project received more than £950,000 in contributions from East Suffolk Council through the Community Infrastructure Levy on development schemes.

Steve Longdon, chief executive officer of FCC Environment, which operates the centre, said: "The new site will enable us to maximise the amount that is reused and recycled, making a real environmental contribution by doing the right thing.

"I am delighted that this site is now open and doing just that."