New Isle of Man rubbish tip and recycling centre opens

A new £3m rubbish tip and recycling centre on the Isle of Man has opened.

The Eastern Civic Amenity Site in Braddan opened to the public at 08:00 BST.

The development, operated by Douglas Council, features a larger re-use shed, a higher number of recycling and waste skips and increased parking.

Douglas Mayor Natalie Byron-Teare said she hopes it will encourage residents to recycle more than they were at the previous site in Pulrose.

Recycling rates reached about 50% there, but Ms Byron-Teare said the larger tip could see the figure rise to 70% or more.

Any reduction in "residual" waste would save the money spent on its disposal, which is paid for by rate-payers, the mayor added.

The new facility has more parking

The site at Middle Park Industrial Estate will serve the capital, Onchan, Braddan, Santon and Garff.

It has been built by property developer Dandara on behalf of a joint-committee of the local authorities, which share waste management responsibilities for the east of the island.

Work began on the site in 2022 after concerns were raised that the tip in Pulrose had reached maximum capacity.

The old site, which closed on Sunday, had been in use for more than two decades.

The tip will be open over summer from 08:00-19:00 Monday to Saturday, and 08:00-16:00 on Sundays and bank holidays.

During winter it will open daily from 08:00-16:00.