The A6 has now reopened following the major fire at the Elstow Waste Transfer Station, but disruption to Bedford Borough’s waste services is set to continue over the coming weeks.
Bedford Borough Council confirmed on Sunday (6 July) that while emergency services managed the incident swiftly and safely, the Elstow facility remains out of action and will be for some time.
As a result, the council has triggered contingency plans to keep household waste and recycling moving — but this comes with a temporary pause on green waste collections across the borough for at least two weeks.
“We know this isn’t ideal, especially for all our green-fingered residents,” a council spokesperson said. “But it’s necessary while we transport priority waste to another licensed site.”
What residents need to know:
- Green bin (garden waste) collections are suspended borough-wide for two weeks
- General waste and recycling collections are unaffected
- Residents can take extra green waste to the Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) on Barkers Lane, which remains open
- Collections will resume as soon as possible
The fire, which broke out at the Elstow site shortly before 9pm on Friday 4 July, prompted a major emergency response, with fire crews remaining at the scene into the weekend. A controlled burn strategy was used to manage the blaze, and air quality was monitored due to a large smoke plume in the area.
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