QUEUES of cars clogged up the entrance to Colchester’s recycling centre after it was reopened for the first time in eight weeks.

Residents flocked to Shrub End Recycling Centre as Essex County Council reopened 15 of its tips.

Restrictions and social distancing controls are in place to ensure the safety of staff and users.

Several Conservative Colchester councillors suggested the centre would be swamped with visitors because of the current reduced recycling collection service.

They said: “While other areas never stopped or re-started kerbside bulk and green waste collections, we have not benefited from the full service since March.”

After lockdown conditions were imposed by the Government, Colchester Council was the only local authority in Essex to suspend its recycling collection service.

Recycling collections were suspended on March 24, with the current reduced service brought in after Easter.

In a letter to the Gazette, Sue Lissimore, Prettygate councillor and Conservative group spokesman for waste, said: “Why were we different to everyone else?

“There’s two possible answers which we have been given - that it was not safe for the crews to work, and, that staff levels were so low there was not the capacity to continue collecting recycling.

“If it was a safety issue, and the council must never put the safety of our refuse collectors at risk, why did other councils continue collecting recycling?”

A Colchester Council spokesman said: “A huge amount of work is going on behind the scenes to increase and restore our recycling collections as soon as possible in a way that is safe and sustainable for our staff and communities.

“We hope to make an announcement about garden waste collections this week but, until then, thank you for your patience and understanding during this unprecedented time."

He added: “Every council operates its recycling and rubbish in different ways for a number of reasons, for example its geography, the number of households in the area, how and what items it collects, the frequency of collections, operational arrangements, staff and vehicle needs.

“Any changes made to our services are always carefully considered, the safety of our staff and the public will always come first.

“We can’t comment on other councils’ decisions.”