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Council pledges commitment to south Bristol recycling centre
A long-awaited recycling centre could finally be built in south Bristol after years of delay.
Promises of delivering the scheme at Hartcliffe Way have been made by nearly every political party in the city over the years – but nothing has ever materialised.
However Bristol City Council has now said it is “still committed” to the delivery of a third Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) for the city.
is needed now More than ever
It added that a meeting between the council and Bristol Waste Company is expected to take place in the next few weeks to develop a project plan.
The comments came after an online petition was set up calling for the council to put the centre back on the forefront of its agenda.
The petition, set up by Joseph Lewis, said: “We recognise the great need for recycling services which are accessible to the south of the city and to improve the local and global environment.
“Fly-tipping and the state of the local environment are increasingly large problems.
“A recycling centre in south Bristol, preferably on the Hartcliffe Way site, would solve many of these issues.
“It would also be far more accessible to people in south Bristol who currently need to travel far afield for full recycling services.
“Though there have been concerns in the past about how such a centre would be accessed, and if it would increase queuing traffic in south Bristol, we believe that it is possible to deliver this crucial service without creating new problems.”
In 2012, Bristol City Council put £2m aside for the Hartcliffe Way site and the scheme was also part of the city’s European Green Capital bid.
But former mayor George Ferguson shelved the idea during his time in office, stating the council could not afford the running costs every year.
Former mayor George Ferguson shelved the project due to potential running costs
Current mayor Marvin Rees put the recycling centre back on the agenda in 2016, and it was included in the council’s waste strategy.
However the project appears to not have moved forward since then.
During a full council in January this year, Rees said the capital budget for building the recycling centre remains in place, and Bristol Waste Company would be picking up the running costs.
He also said the Hartcliffe Way site remained a “possible location” but the council was also looking at other suitable locations in the south of the city.
A Bristol City Council spokesperson said: “The council is committed to the delivery of a third Household Waste Recycling Centre to benefit the residents of Bristol and to offer an expanded recycling and reuse facility in the south of the city.
“The council and Bristol Waste Company, which will operate the site, have reviewed a series of plans prepared by consultants, and will be meeting in the next few weeks to start developing a project plan.
“Bristol Waste Company is currently upgrading their Avonmouth HWRC and the expanded facility is intending to offer residents improved recycling and reuse services.”
Kate Wilson is a local democracy reporter for Bristol. Main image from Bristol Live.
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