A bottle bank and electricity substation that has been a flytipping hotspot will close soon after years of rubbish being dumped on the site.

The bottle bank in Erleigh Road, East Reading, can regularly be found full of waste that has been dumped there.

An electricity substation located immediately behind the bottle banks is managed by Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN), which has decided to close off the site.

The decision has been reached in agreement with Reading Borough Council.

Kathryn McCann (Green, Redlands) said: “SSEN, who own the substation on Erleigh Road, have announced that they will be closing the site to the public from March 1 due to the persistent fly-tipping.

“That means the recycling point there will be closing later this month.

“We had been discussing possible solutions to the issue with the council for some time.

“Our suggestions included adding warning signs, which was done, installing CCTV and reorganising the site to reduce space for waste to be dumped.

READ MORE: Awful cases of overstuffed bins and flytipping seen in East Reading

“While the outcome is frustrating, it will remove a significant fly-tipping hotspot.

“We will continue to lobby the council to implement doorstep glass recycling sooner than the statutory deadline of 2026, as neighbouring West Berkshire Council has already done.”

A spokesperson for the electricity company said:  “SSEN has been working with Reading Borough Council to address security and safety in relation to the substation, which provides power to hundreds of local homes and businesses.

“As safety is a key priority for SSEN – for customers, site staff and the integrity of the electricity infrastructure itself – an agreement has been reached with the local authority that will enable SSEN to securely fence off the substation.”

READ MORE: Bottle bank in East Reading hit by rubbish dumpers and litter yet again 

Cllr McCann told neighbours that they can recycle their glass at the nearby bottle bank outside the Monky Lounge bar in Erleigh Road, and also at the bottle and textile banks at Palmer Park Leisure Centre, Cintra Park and Whitley Street.

It is not the first site that has been sealed off in Erleigh Road in recent times. 

A site immediately opposite the bottle banks that was used for advertising and had been used for unauthorised car parking was sealed off in March last year.

READ MORE: Conservative activist's alarm over fly-tipping at Reading bottle banks

The news about the closure of the substation and bottle bank area was announced on the Redlands Greens Facebook page.

This year, incumbent cllr David McElroy (Green, Redlands) is defending his seat against Labour candidate Dr Sunila Lobo and other challengers.

Cllr Rob White (Green, Park) asked when the council’s Labour administration would introduce doorstep glass recycling at the last full council meeting in January.

READ MORE: No plans for doorstep glass recycling in Reading any time soon

Karen Rowland (Labour, Abbey) lead councillor for environmental services, replied that doorstep glass recycling would likely only be introduced with the help of the Re3 waste partnership, which also covers Wokingham Borough and Bracknell Forest.

Meanwhile, the introduction of doorstep glass recycling has been in the Reading Liberal Democrats manifesto for many years.