Following yesterday’s (Sunday 15 November) fire incident at our Crookhill waste depot in Chickerell, we have begun the process of clearing the site and planning for waste collections in the Weymouth and Portland areas.
In total, 21 vehicles were destroyed or heavily damaged. 16 of these were collection vehicles for rubbish, recycling and garden waste. The other five vehicles were used for cleansing and maintenance.
The estimated cost of the damage is still being determined, but we expect it will be several million pounds. The main building appears to have only suffered minor smoke damage and the waste transfer barn (where collected waste is kept before being sent to recycling or treatment facilities) is undamaged. We are fully insured against fire loss and are actively working with our insurers.
A fire incident investigator attended the site this morning and CCTV footage of the area has been provided to the authorities. We have been informed that this is a complex investigation and it is unlikely they will be able to provide a cause for at least several days yet.
The highway has fully reopened and there only remains a small amount of smouldering on site which we expect to be put out imminently. Once our colleagues in Fire and Rescue have declared the site accessible and we have confirmed with our insurers, we will start to remove the burned-out vehicles.
Dorset Council has already turned its attention to reducing the amount of disruption residents will experience. We have begun the process of locating and hiring replacement vehicles and investigating where we can store these.
Affected residents are free to take their waste to a household recycling centre but are warned that lockdown restrictions are still in place and there may be long queues. We recommend storing your waste at home if it isn’t presenting a risk to health or injury, and only use a recycling centre if you absolutely must at this time.
While we’re unable to give a solid start date for when collections in Weymouth and Portland will resume, we will keep everyone updated regarding our plans and ask that residents keep an eye out for further information when we make an announcement.
Cllr. Jill Haynes, Dorset Council’s Portfolio Holder for Customer Services and Communities, said:
“On behalf of everyone at Dorset Council, I want to thank our colleagues in Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue for their efforts over the last 24 hours – their work to keep everyone safe, contain the fire and prevent further damage has been fantastic.
Now we begin the process of recovering from this major incident. The loss of so many vehicles will inevitably impact our ability to deal with Weymouth and Portland’s waste over the coming days, but officers are working hard to get alternative plans into place. It’s in no-one’s interests for the collection service to be delayed a moment longer than it must be.
In the meantime, please bear with us while we get to grips with the challenges this incident presents. We also want to express our gratitude for the messages of support we have received and thank you for your patience and understanding over the next few days.”
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