Nigel Billingsley, a partner at Bruton Knowles’ Nottingham office and a member of the Chartered Institution of Waste Management, explains: “We are encouraging clients to think about the wider picture when identifying new sites or looking to sell land or property, taking into consideration possible alternative uses. Rising landfill tax and the UK’s increasing recycling targets in accordance with EU legislation will also contribute to activity within the recycling sector and now is the time to maximise opportunities.

“The current economic climate is operating on two levels. Although on the surface it may seem as though falling demand for some recycled products signals less opportunity within the sector, there is in fact more scope to establish or diversify into recycling operations in the long term.”

Stuart Hastings, agent at Bruton Knowles’ Nottingham office, said: “The fact that the government is providing £3.2bn in PFI funding to support the building of a waste management infrastructure to help meet the EU’s targets highlights the potential within the sector.

“However, there are also challenges for the sector; one of the problems with waste management is that it can be hard to identify suitable sites, particularly in light of the perception of issues such as noise, space, access and proximity to residential areas. It is really important for those looking to take advantage of current opportunities to look closely at site capabilities before making strategic decisions.

“For example, we have been instructed on an industrial facility with high quality office accommodation on Saw Pitt Lane at Tibshelf, Derbyshire. The site has excellent access to the M1 and has planning permission for B1 (business) and B2 (general industrial) uses and may be suitable for a recycling facility.

“We are really encouraging clients to think outside the box and invest in sites which could have alternative uses in the future, even if they are not immediately obvious, such as the case at Tibshelf, and for landowners to identify and highlight their sites’ potential.