Final pleas to save Usk recycling centre

Final pleas to save Usk recycling centre from closure have been made ahead of a decision on the issue next week.

Campaigners urged councillors to support them in their bid to keep the facility open in a video played at a meeting of Monmouthshire council’s strong communities select committee on Monday.

The video submitted by Save Usk’s Recycle Facility (SURF) called on the council not to choose to “save their budget rather than their future generation”.

Council bosses are recommending the full closure of the site to save £40,000, in a move which they say would improve the county’s recycling rate.

But the plan has been opposed by around 2,000 people who signed a petition and 500 written responses, while opinions on the select committee were divided over the issue on Monday.

Usk town councillor Alison Ivin said the “much valued facility” can be improved and urged the county council to “work with us positively” to re-open te site.

“This is a valued recycling facility, not a dump,” she said.

Campaigners argue the closure of the site would leave residents having to make trips to Abergavenny or Caldicot to their nearest waste centre.

But Carl Touhig, the council’s head of waste and street services, said this was not ‘unreasonable’ – and that residents in other parts of the county are asked to travel similar distances.

“I have never said that Usk residents are not good recyclers,” Mr Touhig said.

“What I have said is the site is not a good recycling centre.”

Labour councillor Dimitri Batrouni said the support for the facility in the town was ‘significant’ and called for the council “give Usk more time” to develop plans for the site.

His call was backed by Conservative Peter Clarke who said it should not be “beyond our wit” to find the cash to keep the centre open for the coming months, to allow time to consider the issue.

Independent councillor Simon Howarth said “time to investigate” how facilities can be improved was needed.

But Cllr Val Smith said if the site was kept open, services would have to be cut elsewhere to save cash.

Cllr Maureen Powell said the current centre on the edge of a car park was “not safe”, and said alternative facilities for the town should be considered.

Cllr Laura Jones called for a “halfway house solution” – such as an unmanned facility to serve the town – to be further considered.

“The Usk closure will have the biggest hit on the elderly,” she added.

A decision on closing the centre is due to be made by the cabinet next Wednesday, October 7.