HIGHBRIDGE recycling centre is due to open from midday today but recycling and rubbish collections will continue to be disrupted due to the weather.

A Somerset Waste Partnership spokesman said: “Collections are restricted to roads free of ice and snow. While many main roads are clear and have been gritted, snow and ice is still affecting most side roads and rural lanes.

“To free all staff and vehicles for recycling and rubbish services, SWP has suspended the garden waste collection service and apologised to customers for any inconvenience.”

SWP says it was able to carry out about one in nine of its scheduled collections in Somerset yesterday.

The partnership aims to return pick up fortnightly-collected materials within five working days and weekly-collected materials within two working days.

However, the SWP spokesman added: “SWP will deploy all available resources this week to maintain collection services and to catch up in any areas missed.

“However, the scale of the disruption may make it impossible to meet the two or five day periods prescribed in guidelines.

“In that situation, householders should put their recycling and rubbish out on the next scheduled day, which they should check as it is likely to have changed because of Christmas and new year arrangements.”

No catch-up services will be provided for garden waste or clinical waste collections missed because of severe weather.