Tips and waste recycling centres across Hertfordshire could reopen in the coming days, the county council has said.

Hertfordshire County Council says it has drawn up plans which could see ten waste sites across the county open, including Waterdale in Garston and in Rickmansworth.

Household waste recycling centres (HWRC) have been closed across the county since March 24 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The centres are expected to be given the green light to reopen, subject to government guidance, and ten could be open by May 11.

At this stage, no definite date can be given of when sites will reopen but the council says it wants to open sites "as soon as possible".

Four sites – Waterdale, Letchworth, Rickmansworth and Turnford – are likely to open first, under tight social distancing controls and a further six sites – Berkhamsted, Bishop’s Stortford, Stevenage, Harpenden, Potters Bar and Royston – would open in the following days.

The centres would operate on a 'one in, one out' basis with a limited number of vehicles allowed it at any one time.

Once inside, people will be asked to queue at a safe distance for each waste container.

Staff will not carry waste from your vehicle to the container.

Councillor Terry Hone, cabinet member for waste management, said: "Our priority is the safety of site staff, residents and the wider community, and I’m pleased that we’ve been able to plan ways to reopen most of our recycling centres while applying the critical social distancing advice that continues to be in place.

"We are asking residents to only visit an HWRC if their waste or recycling can’t be stored safely at home. By this, we mean that the waste or recycling can’t be stored without causing a risk of injury, health or harm to the resident or other members of their household.

"I would stress that we do not consider reopening some HWRCs undermines the overarching message to “stay at home” and our main message, in accordance with government advice is that journeys should only be made where there is no alternative.

"Most types of waste can be put in normal kerb side bins for collection, or stored safely at home, and this is a much better option at the moment. The social distancing measures we’re putting in place to protect our staff and the public mean that visits will take a lot longer than normal and we’re expecting very long queues."