No queues at Northampton tip on first Monday of extra opening - but lots on Tuesday!

Council chiefs admit it might take time for the message to get through after announcing a six-day week to ease congestion at Northampton's rubbish tip.

The former Northamptonshire County Council announced Sixfields household waste recycling centre will open additionally on Mondays from March 29 for three months in a bid to beat queues.

Last week's first extra day saw no congestion — but the traffic returned on Tuesday with vehicles tailing back to Weedon Road.

A spokesman for the new North Northamptonshire authority, which took over responsibility for waste and recycling across the county today (April 1), admitted: "This is a change in service, so it may take a while for people to get used to the change."

Two more centres at Kettering and Rushden will also open additionally on Mondays so all nine sites across the two new authorities are open for four days from Friday to Monday — including all over Easter.

Demand for the HWRCs has stayed high throughout the Covid-19 pandemic as residents have had more time at home to ‘spring clean,’ do DIY and gardening.

Social distancing requirements at all HWRC sites mean fewer vehicles are able to get in at any one time, leading to queues outside.

Announcing the move last month, Jason Smithers, county council cabinet member for transport, highways and waste, said: “We’re seeing increased volumes of traffic at our HWRCs and while Spring is normally a busy time it has been greatly exacerbated by the current pandemic.

“I’m delighted that we can temporarily extend the opening hours at three of the HWRCs to help alleviate the problem. However the demand is such that we would anticipate the sites to still be very busy, particularly as the weather starts to improve."

Residents are reminded, however, that journeys should only be made if essential in line with government guidance and there there are ways the number of visits can be reduced and made quicker:

■ Consider if waste can be safely stored at home

■ Make fewer visits but with larger loads

■ Separate waste into different recyclable materials before a visit to make unloading faster

All nine recycling centres in West Northamptonshire and North Northamptonshire are open from 10am to 6pm on their assigned days.

■ MONDAY — Brixworth, Corby, Daventry, Kettering, Ecton Lane, Sixfields, Rushden, Towcester, Wellingborough

■ TUESDAY — Corby, Daventry, Sixfields, Wellingborough

■ WEDNESDAY — Kettering, Sixfields, Rushden,

■ THURSDAY — Brixworth, Corby, Kettering, Ecton Lane, Rushden, Towcester,

■ FRIDAY — Brixworth, Corby, Daventry, Kettering, Ecton Lane, Sixfields, Rushden, Towcester, Wellingborough

■ SATURDAY — Brixworth, Corby, Daventry, Kettering, Ecton Lane, Sixfields, Rushden, Towcester, Wellingborough

■ SUNDAY — Brixworth, Corby, Daventry, Kettering, Ecton Lane, Sixfields, Rushden, Towcester, Wellingborough