AN ONSITE shop for unwanted items, together with an equipment upgrade at a Forest recycling centre, will mean closure between March 18 and April 5.

Oak Quarry Household Recycling Centre (HRC) near Coleford will reopen before Easter with a Reuse shop, which will start to take in donated good quality second hand items and sell them on to those looking for a bargain.

The site will also be the next to get a modern ‘squashing’ machine which will offer Forest of Dean residents the same services as other Gloucestershire sites.

Cllr Nigel Moor, Cabinet member for environment and planning, said: “Currently, fixed compactor skips are used to squash and compress waste before it is transported for recycling, or disposal. This system is now old and becoming unreliable, and this can cause delays to residents visiting the site as well as making maintenance costly.

“We are determined to step up our eco-friendly agenda, and the new Reuse shop will help encourage people to think before they throw away perfectly good items.

“The new equipment will give the site a more modern and flexible system. Squashing the contents of the skips will not only save money in maintenance costs, but it’ll be more efficient and reliable too.

“I’d like to thank local people for their patience while Oak Quarry temporarily closes for the improvement work.”

The council plans to reopen the site on Saturday April 6 with summer opening hours, 9am to 5pm, six days a week.

During the closure, residents can take their bulky household waste and recycling to their closest alternative centre, Hempsted HRC near Gloucester, (Closed on Thursdays) or Wingmoor Farm HRC in Stoke Orchard, (Closed on Wednesdays).

“Residents may prefer to plan their visit before or after the closure to avoid potential queues at other sites,” added Cllr Moor.

For a list of household recycling centres in the county, opening hours and more information, visit www.recycleforgloucestershire.com