New proposals could see a reprieve for four household waste recycling centres previously earmarked for closure in County Durham.
Following public consultation, Durham County Council has revised its proposals for the sites at Hett Hills, Todhills, Stainton Grove and Thornley.
If the proposals are agreed the four sites would remain open, but on reduced hours.
Changes to the service are being introduced as part of the council’s work to address reductions in Government funding.
As part of its Medium Term Financial Plan, the council is working to achieve savings of £159.2m by 2015/16 and it is expected that further savings – taking the total to £172m – will need to be made by 2017.
Cllr Bob Young, Cabinet member for strategic environment at Durham County Council, said: “These revised proposals for the household waste recycling service take into account the extensive feedback we received during the consultation and we believe they represent the best way forward.
“They are designed to reflect the need to make changes to the service, due to current over-provision and reductions in Government funding, and to respond to the issues raised by residents during the consultation.”
The three-month consultation looked at the possible closure of six of the council’s 15 household waste recycling centres (HWRCs) – Hett Hills, Todhills, Stainton Grove, Cragwood, Broomsdene and Thornley.
Under the new proposals – to be considered by Durham County Council’s Cabinet next week (April 18) – four of the sites will be kept open on reduced hours while a new mobile service will be introduced for residents in Upper Weardale.
In response to issues raised by residents the Todhills and Stainton Grove sites will operate under reduced hours until the feasibility of providing new sites can be further investigated in the Crook and Stainton Grove areas respectively.
In Thornley the new arrangements would be dependent on reduced hours also being agreed for the two nearest HWRCs at Horden and Coxhoe in the short term, with a further review being carried out as part of redevelopment of the waste transfer station at Thornley in the longer term.
The proposals for Thornley, Horden and Coxhoe will need to be subject to a further consultation with residents affected in these areas via their local Area Action Partnerships.
The closure of the sites at Cragwood and Broomsdene would still go ahead as these sites are not suitable for redevelopment. Residents would instead be asked to use the sites at Romanway, instead of Cragwood, and the centre at Annfield Plain, instead of Broomsdene.
A report to Durham County Council’s Cabinet explains that it would cost more than £1m to carry out work at the Broomsdene site to bring it up the requirements of its waste license. The report also states that the site is only 2.5 miles away from the more modern facilities at Annfield Plain.
And at Cragwood the report states that the site scored lowest out of all 15 sites in County Durham following a technical assessment because the site size and layout means it is not possible to have separate access for customers and HGVs. This leads to safety and congestion issues, which would not be acceptable were the site to remain open. This site was also found to generate very low levels of recycling.
Members of Durham County Council’s Cabinet will be asked to approve the revised proposals and the consultation with residents who use the HWRCs in Thornley, Coxhoe and Horden when they meet next Wednesday (April 18).
In addition they will be asked to agree that, subject to the consultation, the contract to run the household waste recycling service, as set out under the revised proposals, be put out to tender. The current contract, held by Premier Waste, expires in 2013.
Cabinet will also be asked to approve the introduction of measures relating to permits for trailers, the restriction of some larger commercial-type vehicles from the sites and changes to opening hours.