Four HWRCs in Greater Manchester face the axe

Four household waste recycling centres in Greater Manchester could face the chop under plans announced by the Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority.

The statutory body, known as the GMWDA, currently provides 25 household waste and recycling centres (HWRCs) across the region and at a meeting last week (February 11) it agreed to review this network in a bid to make “efficiency savings” as well as “maximising resources”.

Greater Manchester has become the latest region to assess potential closures of its household waste and recycling centres, with a large number of local authorities reviewing operations in a bid to find much needed budgetary savings (see letsrecycle.com story).

Under its long-term waste management contractor with Viridor-Laing, 18 HWRCs have been newly created or extensively refurbished and extended in order to create so-called super sites’ in Greater Manchester. And, the GMWDA said its best performing sites recycle around 90% of material and cover as many as 27 different items.

However, as part of cost-cutting plans, members agreed to review six of the GMWDA’s older sites, with four potentially being closed and two being combined to create a new single facility at a new site.

Sites

The sites under review are: Union Road, Bolton; Drinkwater Park, Prestwich, Bury; Chandos Street, Shaw, Oldham; Peel Lane, Heywood, Rochdale; Lester Road, Little Hulton, Salford; and, Blackhorse Street, Blackrod, Bolton. The final two of these would potentially be combined.

No decision regarding the closures of the sites is likely before Spring 2011. Lester Road in Salford and Blackhorse Street in Blackrod, Bolton would only close in the event that a new site is developed. And the due process of consultation will mean that no sites are likely to close before early Autumn 2011.

Outlining the reasons behind the review, a statement by the GMWDA said: “In light of pressures on local authority budgets, GMWDA affirmed its commitment to make efficiency savings whilst remaining true to its objective of reaching a recycling and composting rate of 50% by 2015.

“The HWRCs located across Greater Manchester, typically serve a three mile radius, however, in some cases there are brand new sites within a short distance from older sites that have received little or no development and are not fully utilised.”

Height

Also at the meeting, the GMWDA agreed to increase height restrictions at its HWRCs from the existing 6ft 1inch limit to 6ft 6inches in order to allow residents with people carriers and large domestic vehicles to access sites. The height barrier increases are expected to be completed across all sites by April 2011.

The revised height restrictions are coupled with the introduction of new number plate recognition technology and a meet and greet’ policy at the entrance to the site. This is intended to help deter trade waste abuse and lessen the costs of the GMWDA of dealing with non-municipal waste.

Commenting on the proposals, Councillor Neil Swannick, chair of the GMWDA, said: “Local Authorities budgets are under pressure and they have to make efficiency savings. To deliver those savings has meant that we have considered several proposals, including better targeting of support to the community sector and rationalising the HWRCs.

“We remain committed to ensure recycling, composting and re-use is accessible to all, as well as supporting community organisations. We will continue with our ambition of zero waste to landfill.”