Two new £4.65m recycling centre projects in Norwich are set to go-ahead after both reached significant milestones.

Norwich Evening News: How the £1.9m new Norwich South recycling centre next to Harford park-and-ride could look. Picture: Norfolk County CouncilHow the £1.9m new Norwich South recycling centre next to Harford park-and-ride could look. Picture: Norfolk County Council (Image: Norfolk County Council)

A new £1.9 million Norwich South site next to Harford park-and-ride has been granted planning permission, which will kick start the next process to secure a company for its construction phase. A contractor is expected to be appointed early next year with work to begin by the spring of 2021.

MORE: Factory to store 150,000 tonnes of rubbish gets permissionMeanwhile the first stage of construction for the new Norwich North recycling centre to be built next to the Northern Distributor Road is set to get underway on November 9, on land off the A140/A1270 junction, near the airport.

Highway teams will be starting work on the access road which is the first stage in the project and will see the new centre open in autumn 2021.

Norwich Evening News: Work is set to start on the new Norwich North recycling centre off the NDR near Norwich Airport. Picture: Norfolk County CouncilWork is set to start on the new Norwich North recycling centre off the NDR near Norwich Airport. Picture: Norfolk County Council (Image: Archant)

Andy Grant, Norfolk County Council cabinet member for environment and waste, said: “Together these recycling centres represent a £4.65m investment in providing modern recycling facilities fit for the growing greater Norwich area.

“I’m very grateful to the team for keeping these important projects on track despite the extra pressures brought by the pandemic.

“The design of both sites has been shaped by feedback from local people and will feature large reuse shops, easy access bins with no steps, smooth traffic flow through the site and plenty of parking for cars and bikes.”

Norwich Evening News: Norfolk County Council cabinet member for environment and waste Andrew Grant. Picture: James BassNorfolk County Council cabinet member for environment and waste Andrew Grant. Picture: James Bass

The new £2.75m Norwich North recycling centre is set to replace the current Mile Cross recycling centre next year.

The site will complement the Norwich South site, on an underused part of the Harford park and ride site.

The new larger, more modern centre is scheduled to replace the current recycling site on Station Lane at Ketteringham, off the A11, operated by Norfolk County Council.

Norwich Evening News: The new Harford site will replace the existing smaller recycling centre at Ketteringham. Picture: Antony KellyThe new Harford site will replace the existing smaller recycling centre at Ketteringham. Picture: Antony Kelly (Image: Archant Norfolk 2015)

MORE: Shock as government algorithm says Norfolk needs extra 2,000 homes every yearBoth new recycling centres would be designed to have low level bins with no steps, plenty of parking for cars, bicycles and vehicles with trailers, and one-way traffic systems to smooth traffic flow and reduce queues.

They are part of improvements to recycling centres across Norfolk.

A new bigger recycling centre is planned for Wymondham by 2022 to cope with proposed housing local growth and because the current limited site can only be accessed down a single-track road.

Norwich Evening News: Household hazardous waste recycling at the current site in Ketteringham. Picture: Antony KellyHousehold hazardous waste recycling at the current site in Ketteringham. Picture: Antony Kelly (Image: Archant Norfolk 2015)

Improvements to the sites at Sheringham and Morningthorpe will either increase their size or relocate them in a bid to encourage more people to use them.