Issue - meetings

To consider a report on the final proposals for future permanent Household Waste Recycling Centre service provision following an update of previously collated review and feasibility study information, public consultation and the commencement of a procurement for a new operating contract provider.

The Committee considered the report which detailed the final proposals for future permanent Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) service provision following an update of previously collated review and feasibility study information, public consultation, and the commencement of a procurement for a new operating contract provider.

The Committee was being asked to agree levels of service for the contract period of 7 years (with optional up to 3-year extension period) due to commence provisionally in September 2025 to allow continuity of service provision and to achieve best value for the Council through this procurement.

Cllr K Edwards attended to speak as a visiting member and stated that Cheshire East was operating in a difficult scenario with intense pressures on the budget. HWRC’s were a great use for waste repurposing and education. Closing 3 of 7 sites would leave a minimum provision across the borough and those in rural areas would face much longer journeys and additional pollution – none of which was mentioned in the report. Cllr Edwards asked for negotiations, to take place with Bollington Town Council who were open to ideas to find financial support to keep the site open and urged serious consideration for the recommendation to be deferred back to officers to negotiate with Bollington Town Council to ensure that one HWRC was left in the north of borough.

Cllr Sewart attended to speak as a visiting member and stated that there was a need for a site north east of the borough as the drive from Poynton to Macclesfield took 34 minutes, meaning that it would take Disley residents even longer and then there would be significant queues to get in to the Macclesfield site. Cllr Sewart said that the credibility of Cheshire East Council would be questioned, and that the decision to temporarily close the Poynton site was “double speak”. Cllr Sewart said that there would be extra costs to the council for additional material in bins and asked the committee to consider keeping, one or both, sites in the north open either fully or on a part time basis.

Cllr Marshall attended to speak as a visiting member and asked members to reject the plan to close HWRCs. Cllr Marshall said that Middlewich was a unique site as all waste comes to Middlewich to be processed as it was where the waste transfer site was located, and several residents would have to drive past this site to go to another HWRC. Cllr Marshall asked the committee to be mindful of the statistics in the report which in his view were not accurate.

Cllr Snowball attended to speak as a visiting member and stated that on 10 May 2024 Bollington Town Council received a notice to keep the HWRC open. The Town Council had already set the budget for the year, and had only 7 days for a response, however they responded and were determined to do everything reasonable within their power to keep the site open. Cllr Snowball said that she understood that savings  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6