Decision details

The Cabinet Member approved alterations to the allocation of funding across a group of capital projects on Household Waste Recycling Centres to:

i)        move £0.100m from Ashbourne HWRC to Bretby HWRC;

ii)       move £0.100m from Loscoe HWRC to Bretby HWRC; and

iii)      add £0.184m to Bretby HWRC from the remainder of the approved £2.000m funding from the 2023-24 Capital Programme.

In order to make suitable financial provision for urgent repairs to the surfacings of Bretby HWRC, thus avoiding its closure to the public.

Option 1: Do nothing - If the proposed funding changes are not made it will not be possible to undertake the essential repairs to the Bretby HWRC.  The degraded areas of surfacings will further deteriorate and the Environment Agency will deem the site to be non-compliant with its Environmental Permit.  A deadline of September 2024 has already been set by the Environment Agency for the repairs.  If the repairs are not done, the operating contractor will be forced to close the site during September 2024. This option is not recommended.

Option 2: Move to an alternative site - To acquire, build, license and commission a new HWRC site would entail expenditure of circa. £8.000m and a timescale of 6 to 10 years.  As funding is not in place and no alternative site has yet been identified. This option is not viable and therefore not recommended.

Option 3: Close Bretby HWRC – Bretby is the only HWRC serving the needs of the residents of South Derbyshire and withdrawing the service would require the Council to undertake extensive consultation and impact assessment to ensure compliance with its legal duties. In any event, given the projected population growth of the district, any assessment of the impact is unlikely to conclude the facility can be removed without first identifying a suitable replacement or alternative provision.