OPENING hours at a much-used York waste site are set to be increased, a York environment chief announced today.

Coun Andrew Waller said the Beckfield Lane Household Waste Site in Acomb was to open on weekday evenings between 5pm and 7pm, from June 30.

The executive member for the environment on City of York Council said special efforts were also being made to ensure that the site is open for the full four hours advertised at the weekend between 10am and 2pm.

The site was temporarily closed last year after an attack on a staff member, who was punched in the head and chest.

Coun Waller said: "Together the contractors, Yorwaste, and the council, have put together a scheme which will allow the site to open on weekday evenings.

"This will vastly improve the facility for local residents who have been complaining that the site was closing early on the two days a week it was open.

"This weekend I went up to see that new working patterns ensured that the site did not close until 2pm.

"These have come after strong pressure from the new council administration to deliver an improved service to local residents as part of the 'Pride in York' campaign.

"I am grateful to the staff on the site who made this happen.

"Security will be paramount to ensure that the staff are not under threat, and we will keep a watching brief on this, and I would hope that members of the public will co-operate with this."

Coun Waller said container lorries were now on site to assist with the emptying of skips, which meant that the site had not had to close during its advertised opening hours this weekend.

The separation of garden waste from general refuse now means that more green waste will be composted rather than ending up as landfill.

He said: "In future years we will be improving the layout and conditions of the site, and the council will be working with Yorwaste to see how this can be funded as early as possible."

Updated: 11:05 Monday, June 23, 2003