Hopes of a new waste recycling centre being built in Market Drayton have been dashed amid continuing anger over the scrapping of the community skip service.
The news was confirmed at a meeting of the Market Drayton and Rural Areas local joint committee in Hinstock on Wednesday by Shropshire Council’s director of resources Laura Rowley.
She said that a new contract agreed between the council and waste collection company Veolia Environmental Services made no provision for a waste recycling centre in Market Drayton.
Miss Rowley admitted that the council had “failed” to consult sufficiently with the public on scrapping the service last month but pledged that a “huge improvement” would be made to waste collection in the area.
She said: “I was asked to check whether there was any chance, through the contract the council has with Veolia, of having a similar recycling site to the one in Whitchurch in Market Drayton.
“But the answer was no and there is no such proposal in the contract.
“We have failed on this occasion to properly consult people on the removal of the skip service and it’s had a much larger impact than we had ever imagined.
“But this is part of a much bigger picture of waste management which brings a lot of benefits to this area and prevents us, as a council, wasting vast amounts of money a year.”
A formal protest against the decision by Shropshire Council cabinet members to scrap the service, which served Market Drayton, Hodnet and Woore, was made at the meeting by Woore Parish Council.
Chairman Councillor Stephen Clifford said: “We strongly protest at the decision made in this case and condemn the lack of consultation by Shropshire Council’s cabinet with town and parish councils.
“Despite representations made, the council’s decision to remove the long-standing, essential waste compactor service to our parish will now mean residents having to undertake a 38-mile round trip to their nearest recycling site in Whitchurch.”
Those at the meeting heard that scrapping the skip servicewould help Shropshire Council avoid paying a landfill tax – the amount paid to the Government for waste disposal at a landfill site – of £6 million a year.
Miss Rowley said: “There will be beneficial changes in the area as a result of the contract with Veolia and a huge improvement in the way we deliver our waste management services.”
By Winston Brown
