Wingmoor Farm Household Recycling Centre is due to close in the New Year so essential repairs and improvements can be carried out.

The site, based near Bishops Cleeve, will be closed from Monday, January 22, and the work is scheduled to be completed in mid-March.

Contractors will be working hard to complete the works as soon as they can, but it is subject to weather conditions which could cause a delay.

It will reopen with a new reuse shop for customers to purchase items that would otherwise be disposed of.

The work will also include new drainage to prevent flooding issues and a new efficient lighting system will be put in place.

Resurfacing work will be taking place to replace the old tarmac and concrete surfaces, which have eroded away. A new customer access road will go around the edge of the centre to separate customers from waste service vehicles, improving safety and reducing congestion.

The reuse shop will be similar to the shops at Fosse Cross and Oak Quarry HRCs and will be a shipping container unit decked out with shelving.

It will be managed by Ubico staff through the day during opening hours. Items can be donated by the public and some may be intercepted before disposal by staff, if they feel they could be reused.

The money collected from sales will be used to support the costs of running the HRC service.

Some work will begin in early December, but the site will remain open while these initial works take place.

Customers are encouraged to plan their visit before the closure or make use of alternative sites at Hempsted, near Gloucester, or Fosse Cross, near Cirencester, during the closure. The works have been scheduled for this time of year as demand for the service is less than in the summer months.

Cllr David Gray, cabinet member for environment and planning at Gloucestershire County Council, said: "This essential work at Wingmoor Farm Household Recycling Centre will allow us to maintain this valuable service for people in the area.

"It will bring many benefits to customers, including a new reuse shop and improved drainage. We have done everything possible to keep the closure to a minimum and would like to apologise for any inconvenience.

"We thank residents for their understanding and will aim to reopen it as soon as possible in the spring, as we know our customers are keen recyclers."

You can find out about other HRCs and book a time slot online at www.gloucestershirerecycles.com