Wiltshire Council has identified a potential site for a new household recycling centre in Royal Wootton Bassett, but the facility could still be three years away, with an indicative opening date of autumn 2029.
The latest update sets out the work still needed to deliver the replacement centre, which is intended to serve residents currently using Lower Compton and Purton household recycling centres.
The future of the two sites has been a major concern for Calne residents since Wiltshire Council announced plans to close them in December 2025. Following widespread opposition, council leader Ian Thorn announced in February that neither centre would close before the replacement facility was ready.
The proposed site is on Marlborough Road, south of the salt depot. The council is preparing a location plan to share with the local community and has clarified that the land is not the former highways depot closest to the canal.
A final decision on the site has not yet been made. The council must complete a feasibility study examining site surveys, engineering, traffic, environmental impacts, planning requirements and costs.
It intends to appoint a specialist team and complete the study between October 2026 and March 2027, while beginning work on the business case.
Subject to the findings and necessary approvals, design work and a planning application could follow from April 2027, alongside the appointment of a contractor.
The current programme aims to have the new centre operational by autumn 2029 at the latest.
The council says Lower Compton and Purton will remain open during development of the replacement facility. Its update refers to the existing centres continuing to operate for three and four years respectively, although it does not specify the starting point for those periods.
The update also includes figures from the booking system pilot introduced at six household recycling centres on 14th September.
Across the six sites, approximately 47,500 bookings had been made since launch, with around 68 per cent made on the same day as the visit or the day before.
Lower Compton recorded 5,641 check-ins and Purton 6,561. Both sites had cancellation rates of around 10 per cent, while approximately five per cent of bookings resulted in a no-show.
Among surveyed users, 88 per cent at Lower Compton and 92 per cent at Purton said they had been able to visit on their preferred day.
The council says it has only four complete weeks of operational data, making it too early to establish meaningful trends or assess seasonal effects. The pilot will continue until at least spring 2027, when its findings will be reported to Cabinet for a decision on whether the system should continue, be changed or be removed.
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