Green bin collections halted after waste site fire

Green waste bin collections have been suspended for two weeks after a large fire at a landfill site.

The blaze broke out at the Elstow Waste Transfer Site near Bedford at about 21:00 BST on Friday.

As the facility is now out of operation, Bedford Borough Council said "priority waste" would have to be transported to an alternative site, meaning green waste kerbside collections had to be halted temporarily.

The Elstow site is still being monitored by the fire service but the A6, between Wixams and the A421 south of Bedford, was reopened on Sunday night.

Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service said it was working with the Environment Agency, the UK Health and Security Agency, police and the council on a "controlled burn" strategy at the site.

The council has apologised to residents affected by the suspension of green waste and said they should use the household waste recycling centre at Barkers Lane to dispose of any excess green waste during this time.

Nicola Gribble, the council's independent portfolio holder for environment, said: "We regret the disruption caused by the fire at the Elstow Transfer Station and are working tirelessly to minimise the impact on our residents.

"Suspending green waste collections was a difficult but necessary decision to prioritise essential waste services and public safety."

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