Charity steps in to run at-risk Newmarket HWRC

A charity group has agreed to step in and take over the running of a household waste and recycling centre in Newmarket that was at risk of closure.

Suffolk county council had earmarked Newmarket as one of seven sites it could potentially close in October 2010 as part of bid to help save 43 million from the local authoritys budget over the 2011/12 financial year (see letsrecycle.com).

However, local charity Newmarket Open Door this week (June 27) announced that it would take over running of the household waste and recycling centre (HWRC).

The company operates a second hand superstore and already accepts items such as fridges, computers, clothing and household items.

The charity-led reprieve of the Newmarket site comes hot-on-the-heels of the Warwickshire Waste Partnership last week announcing that it would be working for charities in the region to discuss a means of saving HWRCs facing closure (see letsrecycle.com story).

Commenting on the arrangement, Councillor Lisa Chambers, portfolio holder for waste at Suffolk, said: I am delighted we have managed to find a solution for Newmarket. Nobody wanted this well-valued site to close, but when it came down to money we simply couldnt afford to keep it open.

As part of the agreement, Newmarket Open Door will introduce charging to use the site, which had been suggested by Suffolk county council as a potential means of keeping the at-risk sites open (see letsrecycle.com story). Residents will be charged between 3 and 12 per visit depending on the size of their vehicle.

The Somerset Waste Partnership caused national news headlines when it opted to introduce charging at four of its HWRCs, which saw it have to legally redefine the sites as Community Recycling Centres in order to allow the charge.

Cllr Chambers added: Local people told us they would be willing to pay to use the site but legally this wasnt an option.

“However, using our expertise, the willingness and commitment of the Newmarket Open Door charity and the support of local councils and private business, together we have managed to save a service for the town.

Newmarket town council has agreed to contribute 15,000 towards keeping the site going and nearby Forest Heath district council will consider a contribution at its meeting next week (July 6).

Suffolk county council has agreed to rent the land for the HWRC to the charity at a peppercorn rate.

Newmarket

The Newmarket site will be closed on July 31 as a council site and reopened by Newmarket Open Door on Friday August 22. It will operate between the hours of 10am and 4pm and be open for seven days a week.

John Durant, general manager at Newmarket Open Door, said: We have always encouraged people taking items to the HWRC to offer them to us first, so when that site was threatened it was a natural progression to expand the range of items we would take particularly those we can make money on like glass and tins.

Mr Durant said that the Newmarket site would be unable to take wood or garden waste, as they would be too costly to dispose of.

Suffolk said it is working with local communities to see if solutions could be found for any of the other sites which are set to close. Under current plans, Chelmondiston, Bramford and Brome would close on July 31 and Beccles and Southwold are due to close on October 31 2011. The Ingham site was closed on May 9 2011.