NORTHWICH's tip will be extending its opening hours from tomorrow, Friday, due to high demand.

Cheshire West and Chester Council announced it was extending the opening hours for some of its larger Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs).

All HWRCs are currently open to the public for essential journeys only - but demand has been high and the council has seen an increase in the number of visitors to the sites.

From March 12, the Northwich site will be open five days a week, from 8am until 5pm.

This site is closed on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Meanwhile, the primary site in Winsford - as well as those in Ellesmere Port and Chester - will be open seven days a week from 8am until 6pm.

Due to the volume of cars queuing to use the sites, visitors may be turned away before the closing time to allow those already on the sites to dispose of their waste safely before the site closes.

Road signs have been placed outside Northwich, Chester, Winsford and Ellesmere Port recycling centres to show the 30 minutes and one-hour waiting points.

Councillor Karen Shore, deputy leader and cabinet member for environment, highways and strategic transport explained: "The current opening times are due to change from April 1, however, due to the increased number of visitors using the HWRC we are extending the opening hours at our larger key sites at Winsford, Ellesmere Port and Chester recycling centre by two hours to 6pm, and Northwich by one hour to 5pm.

"I’d like to thank residents again for thinking twice about their journey and everyone who has visited our HWRCs for following the social distancing rules and guidance from our staff.

"Safety remains a key priority and following social distancing guidance is essential."

From April 1, new opening hours for HWRCs will come into effect.

For Northwich, the opening hours will be 9am until 5pm five days a week, while Winsford, Ellesmere Port and Chester sites will be open 8am until 6pm on weekends and 8am until 8pm on weekdays.