Four-hour wait as Wolverhampton Council tip opens for first time in seven weeks

Drivers are facing a four-hour wait to get into a Wolverhampton Council tip after it opened back up for the first time in seven weeks.

Drivers queue to reach the tip in Anchor Lane, Wolverhampton

Huge queues have formed on the Black Country Route as drivers wait to reach the council tip at Anchor Lane.

The household waste recycling centre in Lanesfield, Bilston, reopened this morning for the first time since the coronavirus lockdown began. It is open seven days a week from 10am.

Cars were backed up along the inside lane of the A463 with a sign warning drivers of a wait of around four hours.

Residents intending to use the tip need two forms of ID to be allowed in - a household bill and photo ID to prove they live in Wolverhampton or Dudley.

Cars queueing to get into the Anchor Lane tip

A sign saying the queue time for the Anchor Lane tip is approximately four hours

Council bosses are urging residents to only travel to dispose of items which cannot be safely stored at home.

Residents are also being told not to visit the site if they, or any members of their household, are showing any symptoms of coronavirus.

The council's other tip in Shaw Road in the north of the city is expected to reopen in the coming weeks.

It has not yet been opened due to fears that the resultant traffic could prevent key workers from being tested on time at the nearby Showell Road Covid-19 testing centre.

A resident wears a mask at Anchor Lane tip

A maximum of two people per vehicle are being allowed into the Anchor Lane tip and no vans or trailers are permitted.

Council tips in Dudley and Sandwell reopened this week, with Dudley Council requiring people to book an appointment before turning up.

Worcestershire County Council also reopened Stourport’s Household Recycling Centre this week and Staffordshire County Council’s tips opened on Thursday.

The council has sites in Bilbrook, Burntwood, Cannock, Lichfield, Rugeley, Stafford, Stone and Wombourne.

Walsall Council’s two tips in Bloxwich and Aldridge will reopen on Saturday and residents will again need to show ID to get in.

The Aldridge tip on Merchants Way will be open from Monday to Sunday between 8am and 5.30pm while, the Bloxwich site on Fryers Road will only be open on Saturdays and Sundays between 8am and 5.30pm.

Birmingham City Council reopened four of its five tips last week and has also seen huge queues despite its ID-only system.