A special task group will be set up to guide an ongoing review of Nottinghamshire’s recycling and household waste centres as its findings continue to be delayed.
Conservative-led Nottinghamshire County Council started the review in 2022 amid concerns some of the county’s 12 centres may not be “fit for purpose”.
Problems include their locations, capacity problems and their impact on the nearby road network.
However, the result of the review has been delayed while the authority waits for clarity on the impact of Government reforms.
Ministers are drawing up plans to “fundamentally overhaul” the waste system, with a new set of policies to change how people recycle their waste.
This could include a reduction of materials received by recycling centres and a shift to more kerbside collections, with food waste, plastic pots, tubs or trays, aerosols, cartons and plastic film potentially to be recycled from homes.
But the full impact of these changes is not yet known and the Government is yet to publish the outcomes of a number of consultations.
The council says this delay has meant it “has not been possible” to finalise the ongoing review of its recycling centre network.
In the place select committee on Wednesday (July 5), a special ‘task and finish group’ was set up to discuss the next steps for the review while the council awaits the updated environmental policies.
Once these have been provided, the authority says it will be able to determine how recycling centres will be utilised in the future.
Mick Allen is the council’s group manager for place commissioning.
He said: “It’s frustrating we haven’t been able to conclude things.
“Until we get certainty [from Government] about strategic issues, as well as costs, it’s very difficult to make a long-term plan.”
Mr Allen added about 98 per cent of all Nottinghamshire residents live within a 20-minute drive of their closest recycling centre.
A recent survey by council waste and recycling contractor Veolia found the same percentage of people were either satisfied or very satisfied with the service they offer.
But concerns have resurfaced about capacity issues at the West Bridgford centre, off Rugby Road, following the closure of Langar Recycling Centre a decade ago.
The Labour closure led to promises from Conservative councillors as long ago as 2017 about a replacement.
However, this replacement never came and was initially due to be discussed as part of the ongoing review.
A site in Cotgrave was previously identified before being withdrawn last year.
In the meeting on Wednesday, Cllr Roger Upton (Con), who represents Radcliffe on Trent, said: “There’s frustration the former Langar recycling centre was never replaced.
“Generally speaking, people go to the West Bridgford centre which has its problems.
“Be that as it may, I personally think with all the issues outlined by the officer, we should pause this review until whenever the Government publishes its guidance.
“There are too many ifs and buts. It’s pointless going round and round in circles, it all hinges on the Government.”
Cllr Francis Purdue-Horan (Ind), who represents Bingham East, added: “A visit to the inadequate West Bridgford tip, these days, is a day out without the seaside or ice cream.
“This administration has misled Rushcliffe residents by pushing the can down the road. We could have been exploring other options to provide a service to our residents.
“I have been banging the drum about the new recycling centre in Rushcliffe, which was dashed with a change of leadership.
“Why has this council repeatedly promised to deliver the results of the recycling centre and failed to do so?”
In response, Mr Allen said he “appreciated the frustrations” about issues around the West Bridgford site.
But he said finding a second site – or a replacement for West Bridgford – has its challenges.
He said “Most landowners don’t really want a recycling centre on their land, they want to use it for housing or sell it for commercial operations.
“There are real challenges identifying sites to either support and supplement or replace West Bridgford.
“We continue to do that work and we’re in constant dialogue to resolve that situation as quickly as possible.”
The Department for Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has been contacted for a comment.
