OPENING hours at all of Somerset’s 16 recycling sites will be changed from Monday, April 1.

They will be open until 4pm at weekends and, on weekdays when they are open, until 6pm in summer, from April to September, and 5pm in winter.

The changes agreed by the Somerset Waste Board are to meet existing and future demand and help limit congestion.

The changes include:

* Year-round 9am to 4pm weekend hours at all sites on Sundays as well as Saturdays.

* Later weekday closing.

* The same number or extra days at ten sites but few at six, including Dulverton.

* An end to the under-used 7pm closing time on Monday evenings, instead closing at 6pm in summer.

Dulverton and Crewkerne have the lowest use and highest per visit costs, so they will have fewer hours but will end their £2 cash entry fees by April 2020 as Somerset’s waste progress gathers pace.

The changes, from behind the scenes improvements to a small overall reduction in site hours, form part of a contract extension deal that will save a total of more than £14 million. 

Full details of all the changes to opening hours from April 1 will be available on flyers at each site shortly, on the Somerset Waste Partnership (SWP) website and via SWP social media.

SWP managing director Mickey Green said: “These improvements reflect what customers have told us they want, especially all sites opening Sunday afternoons and later summer evenings. 

“Most importantly, they ensure all 16 sites stay open, and that each site’s hours carefully match the existing use and future needs as Somerset’s population and housing stock expands.”