Milton Keynes City Council’s Labour leadership has said it will take on the blockers and ensure that the city takes forward plans for two new modern recycling centres.
Labour’s plans will see the current outdated and inadequate city council recycling sites located in New Bradwell, Newport Pagnell and Bleak Hall closed and replaced with new state of the art facilities in Old Wolverton and Snelshall.
Recycling sites allow residents to dispose of larger items such as old furniture, white goods, DIY waste and old electrical products free of charge, while one current site offers disposal of commercial waste for a fee. Two of the current sites are situated just yards from residential properties.
The new recycling centres would see the development of state-of-the-art facilities, be energy efficient, improve traffic management and enhance accessibility. The Snelshall site would include a re-use centre that will ensure items that are still working can be given a new home rather than destroyed. Both new sites will support trade waste.
The new centres would have double the capacity of the current sites ensuring they are adequate for the growth of the city.
Milton Keynes already has one of the highest recycling rates of any local authority, but Labour’s plan is to push on even further to reduce waste, recycle more and enable the sustainable reuse of more items.
The sites are projected to be delivered though funding collected from development and the sale of existing sites, and will save the council money as it looks to reduce spending to fill a budget hole of at least £32m in the next few years.
The plans have been opposed by Conservative councillors who have sought to block them. Some local residents have also expressed concern they will be living near a new site, although both proposed new sites will be located further away from residential properties than the existing facilities.
However, Labour have said that it will not allow misinformation and misunderstanding to stall the plans, saying they will take on the blockers, provide clear information on the proposals, and address the issues of genuine concern to local residents.
Cllr Peter Marland, Leader of Milton Keynes City Council said:
“Labour’s plans to provide new state of the art recycling centres are the right thing to do, and we will not allow blockers to stop what is best for the city.
The new centres provide better facilities, in better locations with improved access and fewer traffic issues than current sites, while increasing the level of recycling and reducing the number of good items in perfect working order being sent for scrap.”
He continued:
“The current sites are old and not fit for purpose. Only one takes trade waste and they lack basic facilities. The new sites will be well located and in existing or proposed industrial areas, further away from housing than the existing facilities, which cause few problems for those residents living nearby, apart from occasional traffic issues that have already improved since we introduced the booking system.”
He concluded:
“Some Conservative councillors have chosen to put out false information about these sites and what they do. They are not landfill sites or waste treatment plants. Existing sites already operate perfectly well in residential areas, but our plans will ensure more capacity and will properly address issues like traffic management and landscape screening. While other councils are cutting and closing recycling centres, we are investing in brand new facilities, with more capacity, in Milton Keynes.
“We will always listen and address genuine concerns, but we won’t be stopped by those that simply choose to mislead the public or who just don’t like change for the better. Our job is to improve the services we provide to residents across the city, and we will get on and do that.”
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