The county council has finally given the green light to reopen the recycling centre in Elstree.

The Elstree Household Waste Recycling Centre in Allum Lane has been closed since March 23 due to the coronavirus pandemic, and while most of the other recycling centres in Hertfordshire reopened in May, Elstree has remain closed.

Hertfordshire County Council said last month the main issue has been a lack of staff to manage the site in Elstree, as the council had to be redeploy staff to manage traffic and social distancing at other sites.

The council added it had prioritised reopenings at larger sites where social distancing and queuing traffic is easier to manage.

The centre in Elstree will be closed for another week, opening with strict social distancing measures in place on Monday July 13.

These measures include a 'one in, one out' system, with a limited number of vehicles allowed in the centre at any time.

There will be designated pathways and queuing areas to allow visitors to keep a safe distance when accessing waste containers.

Staff will not be able to help carry waste from cars to the containers, while site equipment, such as handrails and steps to access containers, will be regularly cleaned in-line with public health advice.

Residents are urged to only visit if it is essential, for example if storing the waste at home presents a genuine health or safety risk.

Terry Hone, cabinet member for waste management, said: "We are glad that we are able to open more sites to allow our residents to recycle. I would continue to urge people to only visit a recycling centre if it’s genuinely essential.

"Most types of waste can be put in normal kerbside bins for collection, or stored safely at home, and this is still a much better option at the moment.

"The social distancing measures we’re putting in place to protect our staff and the public mean that visits are taking a lot longer than normal and we’re seeing some very long queues. So please check our live webcams on our website and plan ahead before you drive out to your nearest centre."

While Elstree remains shut until July 13, people can visit recycling centres elsewhere in Hertfordshire. The closest are Potters Bar and Waterdale on the A405 near Bricket Wood.

Visit www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/hwrc for details of site opening times, and to check the queues on the live webcams.