The Hollingdean recycling centre is seeking to open on Boxing Day this year at the council’s request.
Hollingdean Materials Recovery Facility, operated by Veolia, has submitted a planning application to open from 9am until 5pm this Boxing Day and all subsequent years on the same day.
This year Boxing Day falls on a Monday which would be within the facility’s normal schedule of operation were it not for the bank holiday.
A spokesperson for Veolia said: “We’ve been asked to provide the option for accepting recycling on Boxing Day by our client Brighton and Hove City Council who is responsible for collecting waste and recycling from local households over the busy Christmas period.”
The proposal seeks to allow HGVs to enter the facility as they do at other times of the year.
Last year Boxing Day fell on a weekend, and was outside the facility’s normal times of operation so the facility remained closed.
However, the plans are not popular with the union which represents many refuse staff.
Mark Turner from GMB said: “It’s unnecessary on a number of levels. One, environmentally, two, for the local public – who’d want those vehicles with that noise going on Boxing Day?
“Three for the staff. It’s a small group of staff, a small operation, which the council could manage for the further day with other equipment they’ve got in the depot.
“They can store rubbish in Hollingdean depot in vehicles for a 24 hour period. Their licence allows them to do that.”
The Hollingdean Materials Recovery Facility sorts and bulks household waste before transporting it onward towards other recycling and disposal facilities.
The Hollingdean site covers a throughput of 160,000 tonnes a year of Brighton and Hove’s waste.
You can read the full planning proposal under the reference: BH2022/02461.
