Sheffield Council respond after recycling centre queue left unstaffed

Sheffield City Council has confirmed traffic management is still in place at recycling centres after a picture showed busy traffic outside one site which was left unstaffed.
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An image taken at 3.25pm on Thursday shows at least six cars queuing to to enter the Blackstock Road Recycling Centre. Hayley Mills, who took the picture, estimated there were “at least 20” vehicles queuing in total.

Last month Sheffield Council introduced £70 fines for drivers queuing to get into household recycling centres. The Council said the move would “protect all road users from the dangers associated with unsafe queueing traffic”.

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Hayley said two council staff are normally at the gates until around 4pm daily, stewarding the entrance and turning cars away when the centre is full.

A queue outside the recycling centre on Thursday afternoon.A queue outside the recycling centre on Thursday afternoon.
A queue outside the recycling centre on Thursday afternoon.

She said: “You have to overtake on the other side of the road, it’s horrendous. It’s on a bend and blind spot as well – it’s so, so dangerous.

“It makes me annoyed because I’m a carer and drive up and down that road every day. It’s putting your life at risk.”

A Sheffield City Council spokesperson said the absence of staff at the entrance to the centre on Thursday afternoon was an “exception” due to “staffing issues”.

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Hayley added: “It’s started all over again [the queues]. There was a police van behind me and as I overtook it overtook as well.”

A South Yorkshire Police spokesperson said it is the responsibility of the Council, not police, to monitor queues at recycling centres.

A spokesperson for Sheffield City Council said they are ‘trying their best’ to staff all their recycling centres during opening times.

They said: “Sometimes staff issues mean it's not possible, especially as other staff are returning to their normal duties.

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“Attendants will be on site while the current social distancing measures are in place, but this will be kept under review.”

The spokesperson added: “On some occasions attendants may not be available. Due to staffing issues an attendant was not present yesterday at Blackstock Road.”