Three councillors representing Olney and the rural north of Milton Keynes are calling for clearer answers over when Newport Pagnell Household Waste Recycling Centre will close and what residents and traders are expected to do afterwards.
Milton Keynes City Council decided in 2025 to replace the city’s three existing recycling centres at Newport Pagnell, New Bradwell and Bleak Hall with two larger sites at Old Wolverton and Snelshall. The council says the new centres will have significantly greater overall capacity, with the Old Wolverton site due to open by the end of 2026.
But the exact closure date for Newport Pagnell has still not been publicly confirmed.
Cllrs David Tyler, Peter Geary and Keith McLean say residents in Newport Pagnell, Olney and surrounding villages need a clear timetable, particularly as major housing growth continues in the area.
One of the biggest developments is Tickford Fields, where outline permission exists for up to 930 homes off North Crawley Road, the same road as the current recycling centre. The wider MK East growth area will also bring thousands more homes to the east of the city.
The councillors have raised concerns about:
- Longer journeys for people in Newport Pagnell, Olney, MK East and surrounding villages
- Extra pressure on the new Old Wolverton centre, which will replace both Newport Pagnell and New Bradwell in the north
- Uncertainty for traders and larger vans. Newport Pagnell currently has a dedicated trade facility and can accept vehicles over two metres high.
- Potential fly-tipping, with councillors warning that making legitimate disposal less convenient could increase dumping in rural lanes and lay-bys
Cllr David Tyler said:
“Residents in Newport Pagnell, Olney and the villages have used this tip for years and it works. Now they’re being told it’s going, with no date, no plan for traders, and a much longer drive to Wolverton.”
Cllr Peter Geary added:
“If you make it harder for people to get rid of their rubbish properly, some of it ends up in our lanes and hedgerows, and it’s our rural communities that will pay the price.”
The council’s position is that its current sites are ageing and have limited room to grow. It estimates the existing three centres can accommodate around 395,000 visits, while the two replacement sites are being designed for around 700,000 visits a year as Milton Keynes continues to expand.
The new Old Wolverton Reuse and Recycling Centre is under construction and is expected to open by the end of this year, with features including step-free access, covered areas, improved traffic layouts and reuse facilities.
So the debate isn’t simply about whether newer facilities are needed. For residents in the north and east of MK, the big questions are when Newport Pagnell will close, how far people will have to travel, what happens to trade waste and whether the replacement capacity will be enough as thousands of new homes are built.
What do you think? Should Newport Pagnell tip remain open until a replacement serving the east of MK is available?
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