OTLEY’S tip is to be the last household waste recycling centre in Leeds to re-opened by the city council.

Leeds City Council announced last week that it was planning a staged re-opening of its sites which have been closed due to the COVID-19 lockdown.

Five waste centres have now opened - at Kirkstall, Meanwood, Middleton, Pudsey and Seacroft - though only for essential use and via an online booking system.

More are set to follow including the Yeadon site on Milner’s Road: but those hoping to use Ellar Ghyll at Otley may have to be patient. In an update to local councillors, laying out its strategy, the local authority stresses that residents should only be taking items that they can ‘no longer safely store at home’.

It adds: “Due to issues with capacity, location, managing health and safety issues, dealing with highway access, highway hazards and general logistics we will need to open sites on a phased basis.”

The next site due to be opened is at Wetherby with Yeadon to follow. Referring to Ellar Ghyll, however, the statement says: “The Otley site is our most problematic in regard to meeting social distancing requirements due to the topography and size/lay out of the site, as well as particularly challenging access issues.

“And so this will be the last site to open as more significant work with highways and consultation with local ward members is required to be confident that this site can operate safely and effectively.”

Ward Councillors Sandy Lay, Colin Campbell and Ryk Downes (all Lib Dem, Otley & Yeadon) said they were sorry for the delay but understood the council’s reasoning.

Cllr Campbell said: “Ellar Ghyll is a constrained site which makes it difficult for residents to maintain a safe distance and we have already expressed concerns about road access to the site which is poor at the best of times - but could become dangerous if cars were queuing to enter.”

Cllr Downes said: “We are continuing discussions with officers about how Ellar Ghyll might reopen and we are also investigating with them how the site at Milner’s Road could also be brought into use to provide some assistance to both Yeadon and Otley residents.”

Those planning to visit one of the sites that have re-opened must use the vehicle whose details they gave while booking, be a Leeds resident, not bring a trailer or a van and travel alone unless they have a blue badge.

They must also keep their car windows closed at the centre, not leave their cars until parked in a bay and stay two metres apart from others.

Updates on all of the Leeds area’s waste recycling centres, and a booking link for those that are open, can be found at www.leeds.gov.uk/residents/bins-and-recycling/recycling-sites.