Doctor upset by ‘ban’ at Oxfordshire recycling centre

Dr Daniel Emlyn-Jones was annoyed to discover he could not walk in at Redbridge recycling centre in Old Abingdon Road, Oxford, to recycle some old wooden pallets.

Now he is urging Oxfordshire County Council to create a designated pathway for pedestrians as only cars and bikes can use the centres at the moment.

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Dr Emlyn-Jones, who lives in Oxford, said: “Since I do not own a car and my rubbish is ineligible for bulky waste collection, I was all set to walk to Redbridge recycling centre the other day, rubbish in a trolley, when I discovered that pedestrians are banned from the place.

“Bicycles fine, cars fine, pedestrians no. This edict seems especially bizarre since the centre is full of people milling around on foot in order to put their rubbish in the appropriate skip.

“Oxford is rightly discouraging car use in increasingly elaborate ways, so why on earth are pedestrian recyclers such as myself being excluded like this?

“Fortunately a neighbour is helping me, but such restrictions on rubbish disposal will simply drive people to illegal rubbish collection companies which fly-tip and create illegal garbage mountains such as the one in Kidlington.”

Dr Daniel Emlyn-Jones (Image: Andy Ffrench)

Dr Emlyn-Jones added: “How much effort would it take to create a designated pathway for pedestrians?

“The county council has introduced LTNs (Low Traffic Neighbourhoods) and the congestion charge. It should be doing more to encourage pedestrians.”

Redbridge recycling centre in Oxford (Image: Oxfordshire County Council)

A county council spokesman said: “Pedestrians are not permitted to enter any of Oxfordshire’s waste and recycling centres. There are no segregated walkways to enable pedestrians to enter and exit the sites safely.

“Cyclists can use the site, and you can visit with a bike trailer too.

“Some districts provide recycling containers, such as those located in supermarket car parks or community centres. These often collect similar items to household waste recycling centres and are often more easily accessible on foot.

“Some shops also offer collection points for more specific items like printer cartridges, Brita filters, and some lightbulbs.”

The county council operates seven household waste recycling centres including Redbridge household waste recycling centre, next to Redbridge park-and-ride in Oxford.

The centre is expected to close for three months this summer for safety work.

A spokesperson for the county council said earlier: “Redbridge HWRC will close during the summer for a period of three months. The exact date of closure will be confirmed as soon as possible.  

“The safety works are primarily for ground stabilisation. This will involve the installation of corrugated steel sheet piling along the east and west of the site embankments, along with some other concrete repair works.”