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Minutes

Items
No. Item

1.

Question to the Cabinet Member for City Services- Recycling Centre Post Pandemic

Minutes:

Councillor R. Mogford asked:

 

It has been reported that since the Recycling Centre has adopted the appointment system over 80,000 visits have been successfully booked and that there have been many benefits of working.

 

i)              When the recycling centre returns to the new normal (post COVID-19 lockdown restrictions), what will the new normal will look like from a resident's perspective?

ii)             To put the reported 80,000 visits into perspective what is maximum and optimum operating capacity in terms of visits that can be supported in a similar period or say per/week?

iii)           Has the cabinet member any data on limited access to the recycling centre and increased fly tipping in Newport.

 

Councillor R. Jeavons responded:

 

For the period since re-opening on 26th May 2020 to 31st March 2021, there were 90,238 bookings made for the HWRC through the booking system.

 

  • The system provides site operatives with a safe way to manage through-flow of residents and monitor skip usage, enhancing site efficiency to support an increasing recycling rate from 65% to over 90%
  • The system has eradicated queues on the A48 SDR and associated traffic management issues
  • The system has also facilitated improvements to control unauthorised access to the site

 

i)              Booking systems have now been introduced in all neighbouring authorities and across most of the country. Given the success of the system and the very positive response from the public, it is anticipated that it will remain in place for the foreseeable future. The new normal will adapt in line with changes to Covid guidance, as these evolve over time.

ii)             The maximum capacity of the site is dependent on the social distancing regulations in place.  However efficiencies from the new system have enabled longer opening hours and therefore an increase in visitors

iii)           Access to the recycling centre has not been limited, but controlled via a booking system, which has resulted in many positive outcomes as highlighted above.  Fly tipping is a criminal activity that the vast majority of our residents would not entertain. Most fly tipping is carried out by commercial operators, who cannot not use the HWRC and have to dispose of their waste in line with relevant legislation.