East Cambs Cathedral Of Recycling Opens

7 November 2011

Thursday last week (3 November) saw the opening of the new recycling centre at Witchford, which has been dubbed a "Cathedral" of recycling

Witchford Recyling Centre under construction, resembling a cathedral

The centre on Stirling Way, next to Lancaster Way Business Park, replaces the old open-air site at Grunty Fen.

The building was designed by Capita Symonds and built by Willmott Dixon, costing under £5.5m and is expected to increase recycling and reduce waste going to landfill.

It will offer opportunities to recycle everyday household items from paper, glass and plastic bottles, to less commonplace items like cooking oil, paint and electrical goods.

Councillor Mathew Shuter, Cabinet Member for Enterprise at Cambridgeshire County Council, said: "It is fantastic to celebrate the opening of another new recycling centre brought in on time and within budget. This new centre really is a huge step forward from the old site at Grunty Fen and is a great example of the County Council's ongoing commitment to invest in new services and facilities.

"I am reliably informed that this 'cathedral of recycling' will recycle or reuse waste equivalent to the weight of two Eiffel Towers, so I know this centre will be a great resource for local communities in East Cambridgeshire.

Local councillor and chair of the liaison group, Bill Hunt, said: "This new recycling centre is a triumph and is going to make a massive difference to the way residents in East Cambridgeshire recycle their waste.

"It is a first class facility which is a fine example of what can be achieved when people work in partnership and cooperating for the good of the local community. I can't wait to see the centre up and running and delivering on the hard work which has gone on to build it."

Darrel Moore