Council indicates support for shared recycling scheme

Residents living across the border from Monmouthshire could be allowed to use the county’s recycling facilities but only if they pay a fee, the council has indicated.

Currently people living close to Monmouthshire are not allowed to use waste and recycling facilities in the neighbouring county, despite these being closer to their homes.

Residents living in Llangattock and Crickhowell, for example, have to use the waste and recycling centre in Brecon which is a round trip of between 30 to 50 miles.

The recycling centre in Llanfoist near Abergavenny is only around six miles away, but can only be used by Monmouthshire residents who are issued with a permit.

The issue was raised at a full meeting of Powys council last Thursday.

Councillor Jackie Charlton, who represents Llangattock ward, said: “Residents of Llangattock and Crickhowell are constantly asking why they cannot use the waste recycling centre in Abergavenny, which would be much easier, sustainable and makes perfect sense.”

Councillor Phyl Davies, cabinet member for Highways, Recycling and Assets, said the authority was in discussions with Monmouthshire council over the issue.

Monmouthshire council has now indicated that it would support a scheme for residents living on the borders to pay to dispose of their waste.

Such a scheme is currently in place for traders and small businesses, and the council says it could “easily be expanded” to residents living outside of Monmouthshire.

A spokeswoman for Monmouthshire council said: “We would support centralised provision of household waste recycling centres for all residents if funding and recycling targets could be adapted to make this possible at a local level.

“Similarly to Powys County Council we operate well above the statutory legislative duty to provide one facility per county.

“We would be happy for residents living near to the borders to pay to dispose of their waste at our sites in Llanfoist and Five Lanes and this option is already available to traders and small businesses and could easily be expanded for non-residents.”

The council introduced a residents permit scheme after a survey found 15 per cent of people using its four recycling centres provided out of county postcodes.

This equates to an extra 3,000 tonnes of waste per year being deposited at Monmouthshire’s sites, with the treatment of waste costing the council £60 per tonne.