Opening hours could be extended at some recycling centres in the borough in a bid to cope with demand when a busy Lurgan facility shuts for urgent works next month.
Newline Recycling Centre is set to undergo an extensive scheme in the interests of public safety.
But the move has led to fears being voiced over a potential increase in fly-tipping, with some councillors insisting the ‘bulky goods’ collection service in the area needs to be increased in order to cope.
Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council’s Environmental Services Committee received a report this week which highlighted the need for works to proceed as soon as possible.
It advised: “The site works are urgently needed and cannot be delayed given ongoing health and safety issues for both staff and users of the site due to the poor condition of the surface, as well as the condition potentially contributing to a breach of suspended solids consent limits under the Water (NI) Order 1999.”
Officials are currently “procuring this service”; the tender process will close mid-October and will be “evaluated and awarded thereafter”.
Head of Environmental Services, Lisa Doherty, told this week’s committee that the works “will include extensive resurfacing, line markings and improvements for staff and for users”.
She said: “It is estimated that the site works will commence in mid-November and it will be closed for a three-week period, and planning for the closure is well underway.”
Ms Doherty said there would be “extensive communications with site users — leaflets, signage and social media — ahead of the scheme getting underway”.
And she confirmed: “All other recycling centres will remain open during this time, and officers are looking into extending opening hours on these sites as well to accommodate additional users. A staffing plan is also being developed.”
The public will be encouraged to be “mindful that while other sites are available across the council area, it is anticipated that these will be busier than normal”.
People will also be asked to consider if their journey to a recycling centre is “essential or could await the reopening of the Newline facility”.
What followed was the voicing of concerns over signage on site, fly-tipping fears and the need to boost bulky waste lifts.
DUP Alderman Paul Greenfield said the works were “definitely needed”, but he said signage should be “more substantial”, referencing the number of signs — some of them hand-written — posted at Newline at present.
Sinn Féin Councillor Mary O’Dowd agreed, saying there needed to be a “big sign” in place, adding: “The wee small ones are doing absolutely nothing.”
But in addition to the signs, she had other pressing worries.
“I think there will be a rise in fly-tipping in the area and that is a concern for me,” she told the committee. “I think we all have issues with fly-tipping, but it (the planned work) is well needed and I do understand why it is being done.”
That said, she asked that officers “keep an eye on” and monitor the potential for increased fly-tipping as a result.
Ms Doherty offered some form of reassurance, responding: “We are working closely with our comms team to develop the right messaging to go out alongside the closure, and that will include leaflets to the public well in advance of it, but also substantial signage that will be put on site and actually on other sites as well, so at least they will know that Newline is closed. We will continue to monitor fly-tipping in the area.”
Councillor Jude Mallon had similar concerns, the Sinn Féin representative asking if there would be “extra bulky waste lifts put on” because of the closure.
The Head of Planning Services said: “We are looking at the other sites — the other recycling centres — and have additional capacity on those sites, and will work with our contractors to make sure they are able to clear those sites away quicker.”
Ms Doherty agreed that her team would “monitor requests” in relation to the bulky goods collection service and “look at the resources put towards that” if it was felt it was an issue.
Councillor Catherine Nelson requested further information, as she too believed fly-tipping might rise in the area.
“I think that running that close to Christmas, a lot of people clear out their homes in advance of Christmas, knowing that Santa might arrive with plenty of gifts and toys, so I just would be concerned that that would increase fly-tipping,” said the SF representative.
“I definitely think that we need capacity increased in our bulky collection. For people in Lurgan, the other centres that are available are quite a journey away and, unfortunately, people may decide not to do that journey — and some may then fly-tip.
“I would like officers to come back to us next month, when we are aware of the exact timeframes, with a plan on how we are going to add capacity to our bulky lift collections.”
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