Views sought on county recycling centres

Press release - 9 January 2007

Views sought on county recycling centres

Visitors to Shropshire’s recycling centres are to be asked for their opinions of the sites when a survey is carried out later this month.

From this Saturday (13 January) for approximately two weeks, visitors to Shropshire County Council’s household recycling centres in Shrewsbury, Whitchurch, Oswestry, Craven Arms and Bridgnorth (see note 1) will be interviewed by researchers and asked what they think about the facilities and service on offer.

And customers using the Coder Road Amenity Skip & Recycling Centre in Ludlow, which is provided by South Shropshire District Council, will also be questioned.

The county council study follows a similar exercise carried out in February 2006, which showed how well-regarded the centres are, but which also showed how things could be improved.

Councillor John Hurst-Knight, Shropshire County Council’s Cabinet member for waste and economy, said: “In Shropshire we are recycling more than ever, and our recycling centres are attracting large numbers of visitors. However, we are keen to know what customers think of the sites and the service provided, in order to learn if and how things can be improved. The survey carried out last year told us how well-respected and well-used the centres are but, more importantly, it told us how we could improve the service and facilities on offer to visitors. We hope this year’s survey will do the same.”

Following comments made in last year’s survey, new information points and leaflet dispensers – plus improved signage – have been installed at all five recycling centres, and hand-cleaning facilities have also been provided at each site.

Some 98 per cent of those questioned in 2006 said they were ‘very’ or ‘fairly’ satisfied with the overall service provided, and 93 per cent were satisfied with the helpfulness of staff at the centres.

In the last three years new recycling centres have opened in Craven Arms (October 2003), Whitchurch (December 2004) and Shrewsbury (February 2005), and new centres are planned for Oswestry and Bridgnorth.

ENDS

For further information, call Julian Scholefield, Waste Management Unit, Economy & Environment, on +44 (0) 1743 253016.
For media contact, call Gareth Proffitt, Communications Officer, on +44 (0) 1743 252828.

Notes

(1) Shropshire County Council’s five household recycling centres are located at:
- Barnsley Lane, Bridgnorth
- Battlefield Enterprise Park, Shrewsbury
- Craven Arms Business Park, off Long Lane
- Maesbury Road, Oswestry
- Waymills Industrial Estate, Whitchurch.

(2) The survey will be carried out on behalf of Shropshire County Council by MEL Research Ltd.