MAJOR work on upgrading a Redditch tip will not be completed until next year thanks to a two-month delay due to poor weather and September's fuel strike, writes Becky Procter.

Severn Waste Services, which runs the transfer station and household waste site in Park Farm, has apologised for the delay, which has resulted in townsfolk having to use sites in Evesham and Hanbury on weekdays since work started in June.

And the Upper Crossgate Road site was closed at the weekend to enable demolition of the transfer station building.

In a statement, Severn Waste Services said: We apologise for the delay which has been due, in part, to the fuel strike when several days productions were lost and inclement weather impacted upon earthworks.

We have worked hard to recover lost time and look forward to re-opening the site facility in the new year.

After work is completed the site will be a modern, split-level, user-friendly facility built to last over a 25-year contract.

Severn Waste Services added: It is our intention to boost Redditch recycling rates and reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill.

We are pressing the contractor to keep the overall delay to as short a time as possible.

The site will be open on Saturday and Sunday and December 27,28,29,30 and 31 and January 2,3,4,5,6 and 7.