One of the areas largest recycling centres is to temporarily close for a week.

Waterdale Recycling Centre, off the A405 between Bricket Wood and Garston, will be shut for five days later this month.

There will be no access to the site between Monday May 17 and Friday May 21, according to Hertfordshire County Council's website.

However, after the closure has been lifted, the recycling centre will be open seven days a week, up from the five days a week it is currently open.

In March, the county council announced three of its biggest recycling centres will be open everyday from mid-May due to increased demand.

Currently, the Waterdale site does not operate on Thursdays and Fridays.

Watford Observer:

Terry Hone, county council cabinet member for waste management, said in March: "We’re making this permanent change as we’ve been seeing long queues at many of our sites. While people have used lockdown as an opportunity for clear-outs and gardening, we believe demand will remain high and we want to try and ease pressure at other smaller sites around the county.

"In many ways it’s great news that people in Hertfordshire are so keen to recycle their waste, but with the social distancing measures in place at the moment to keep the sites safe and this increased number of visits, it’s putting real pressure on our centres."

Councillor Tim Williams, who is based in Watford and sits on the waste cabinet panel, welcomed the new opening hours.

He said: "I very much remember campaigning against the reductions in 2014 when the county council reduced opening times. Whilst we maintain that there was no need for reducing the hours for the past six years, and that this has caused flytipping issues, the fact that they’ve relented is to be welcomed and we look forward to mid-May when the centre will be opened seven days a week."