"It's a complete nightmare": Northampton resident slams council over traffic chaos outside her home next to the tip

A resident who lives just yards down the road from Ecton Houeshold and Waste Recycling Centre has slammed the council for its lack of organisation at the tip which has led to her life becoming "a nightmare".

Sheryl Hadfield, from Ecton View, says she can't drive out of her own property because there are long queues outside her house as people try to get into the recycling centre.

She has been living at the caravan park in Lower Ecton Lane for six years - others have been living there for 35 years. There are a total of 35 families on the site who are all being affected.

The mother-of-three said she has even being verbally abused by motorists as it sometimes looks like she is "jumping the queue" to get into the tip, which is run by West Northamptonshire Council

Sheryl said: "It's a nightmare. It's just getting worse everyday the tip is open. It's a complete nightmare for us.

"Yesterday was unbelievable, I had to go to the dentist and I couldn't get out. To add to that, when we did try to get out people thought we were jumping the queue.

"There has been arguments and people have got out of their vehicles. If this was someone else's entrance then I feel this would not be allowed to happen.

"It's not on. There's no way we should not be able to get out of our own homes. If this chaos is because the tip isn't open everyday then the council needs to open it everyday. If it's because the traffic can't queue inside then let them queue inside."

Sheryl also criticised the tip workers on site and also some of the motorists who fly-tip outside her home because, she believes, the tip is shut or the queues are too long.

She said: "I know the council has to run the tip but it has got to organise it better. The guy at the tip is supposed to be monitoring it but he's there twiddling his thumbs. They are supposed to be doing their job properly. I don't know what they are getting paid for, they are just standing around doing nothing.

"When motorists drive up and see the tip is shut they fly-tip. We have seen people do it. The tip workers don't pick the fly-tip rubbish up outside the centre, my husband goes out and does it.

"I don't know how the council will resolve the issue but it needs sorting. It is ridiculous."

West Northamptonshire Council was asked by this newspaper:

Why is Sheryl having to pick up after people who fly-tipped outside her home?

Why is this not being better managed?

How is the council going to change this situation?

Why isn't the tip open seven days a week if this is what's happening?

A spokesperson from West Northamptonshire Council responded saying: “Demand for the household waste recycling centres has continued to be high throughout the pandemic as people have more time at home to renovate and do DIY, and around the Easter Bank Holiday weekend we always see increased volumes of traffic at the HWRCs.

"Because social distancing measures are also in place it means fewer vehicles are able to the access the site at any one time, and unfortunately this is leading to traffic queues outside.

"Opening hours have been temporarily extended at Sixfields household waste recycling centre to help alleviate this problem, but we anticipate that all sites will continue to be very busy in the coming weeks.

“We would remind everyone to only visit a household waste recycling centre if it’s essential and to consider if their waste can be safely stored at home for now.

"We would also ask visitors to try and make fewer visits with larger loads, and to separate waste into different recyclable materials before arriving as this makes unloading faster.

"We also ask drivers not to arrive earlier than the opening time as this creates queues that can cause a traffic obstruction before the site is even open.

"Please plan ahead as recycling centres will close at 6pm even if traffic is still queuing, so if there are queues outside the site when you arrive and it’s within an hour of when the site is due to close you may not be able to dispose of your waste, so you will need to return at another time.

"We would remind everyone that fly-tipping is illegal and there is no excuse to fly-tip your waste on the side of the road.”