Plans for a permanent new waste reuse shop in Derby have hit a stumbling block over traffic concerns, a new report has revealed. It was reported just over a year ago that Derby City Council was planning to set up a new store at the city’s only tip – the Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) at Raynesway.
The shop would allow people to buy “good condition” items sent in by residents as junk and while doing so environmentally helping out the planet. News of the potential shop proved popular at the time, especially on social media, with residents calling it a “great idea”.
The council held several temporary day-long pop-up shops for users of the tip over the course of 2024 but the initial plans it seemed were to have a permanent shop at the site.
Join us on WhatsApp to get the latest news straight to your phone
In December 2023, it was reported that a senior council director told councillors at a meeting the shop was in the “late development” stages. The officer added that the authority was working on a timeline on when they could start to open the shop.
Next week, leading councillors of Labour-led Derby City Council will be discussing a new report focusing on the changes made at Raynesway tip over the past eight months. The main discussion will be surrounding the change made to remove the booking system on Sunday’s only – which has seen visitor numbers almost doubled for that day of the week.
The council report says the changes have seen “various advantages and disadvantages for the free HWRC sessions on a Sunday”. Positives, the council say, include: “the free sessions provide more choice for customers, recycling levels have been maintained, and concerns around queueing traffic have not materialised to the extent anticipated.”
Read more – Calls to probe home-working at Derby City Council in light of ‘ridiculous situation’
But the city council say there are drawbacks too. And one of them includes its plans to deliver a permanent reuse shop at the Raynesway recycling centre.
The report states that the council’s own transport department will not support required planning permission for the shop because there is no booking system on Sunday’s. This suggests there is a concern that the popularity of the shop could see traffic levels increase around the site.
It said: “Traffic and transportation will not support planning permission for a shop to operate on days booking is not required.” The council said profits made from the temporary pop-up event went towards hosting future reuse events and a share going to local charities.
We send out the biggest stories in an email every day. Sign up for the main Derbyshire Live newsletter here.