Lincolnshire County Council is set to make a decision on plans for a proposed new Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) at Tattershall, which it claims could save more than £200,000 a year if approved.
The proposed facility would replace an existing facility at Kirkby on Bain, which is privately owned by FCC Environment, with a contract worth around £425,000 a year. The existing facility is due to be decommissioned at the end of 2021.
Although the Tattershall facility would initially cost around £1.95 million to build, Lincolnshire Council claims once operational, it will cost up to £192,000 a year to run. The new facility is set to be built on a council-owned site.
This means the new site could save up to £287,000 a year for the Council, depending on whether it is managed externally or in-house.
In a report written by the Council, it states that an alternative option would be to not provide a replacement facility, saving money in the short term but leaving residents without a HWRC nearby.
The report summarised: “Proceeding with the construction of a new HWRC will maintain the service in the Horncastle area and meet [policy] requirements.
“The service is highly valued by the public and this has been demonstrated by the changes which were brought about due to the COVID-19 pandemic which caused a significant increase in complaints.
“[If a site is not provided], this would also increase pressure on the nearest HWRCs such as Market Rasen, Lincoln and Sleaford.
“Failure to [provide a new site] would cause significant reputational damage for the authority with the public and its partners, as well as have a detrimental impact on the environment.”
If the proposal is approved, the Council plans to have the facility operational by November this year.
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