The long-term future of a Leicester tip is in doubt after problems emerged with reopening it as lockdown eased.
While Leicester City Council was able to re-open its Gypsum Close household waste recycling centre last month the gates of the Freemen’s Common tip, which serves the south side of the city, remain locked.
Strict social distancing measures for staff and visitors have been built into the management of Gypsum Close but officials say the lay-out and age of Freemen’s Common do not allow for the steps necessary to limit the spread of Covid-19.
City mayor Sir Peter Soulsby told LeicestershireLive: “It is much more problematic than Gypsum Close which is modern and lends itself very well to being managed with social-distancing.
“Freemen’s Common is a problem.
“It’s been there for a lot of years. It’s not up to the higher standards.
“It is causing us some headaches about when we can open it."
He added: “The cars park next to each other whereas at Gypsum Close they park behind each other
“It is quite a confined site and the skips are much more higgledy-piggledy.
“To be frank, what it shows is the need for another modern tip to replace Freemen’s Common.”
No other sites have so far been suggested for an alternative tip site in the city.
The council says Gypsum Close is coping with the demand of being the only tip in the city for the moment.
There were delays of hours for people trying to get in when it first re-opened on May 20 as people rushed to dump months of accumulated rubbish.
Now however the long queues have dissipated.
