Battle to save threatened recycling centre

SAVE our site . . . Councillor Mark Alcock, third from right, and Councillor John Dillon, second from right,with protesters at Beal Hey

A RALLYING call has gone out to residents to get behind a campaign to save Beal Hey Recycling Centre in Shaw.

The future of the centre, in Chandos Street, is under threat as the Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority looks for ways to meet a £1 million budget cut.

A consultation process has now been launched as GMWDA decides which six of the 25 recycling centres across Greater Manchester will be shut. A final decision is expected next month.

The cuts come as the Environment Department release statistics which show that more than 40 per cent of all rubbish in English households is now being recycled, compared with just 14 per cent a decade ago. Shaw Councillor Mark Alcock, who has launched a petition against the closure, says it would be a disaster if Beal Hey was to shut.

He added: “Beal Hey is always really busy and it is in a great location for people who want to drop their recycling off when they come to Shaw to shop.

“All councillors in Shaw and Crompton are opposed to the closure and we are delivering leaflets to households in the area as some may not be aware of what is going on.

“The centre was placed there for a reason and closing it would have a dramatic impact on recycling rates. If you make it easy for people to recycle, they are much more likely to do it.

“If you make it hard for them, why should they bother?

“A lot of people don’t have cars so would struggle to take all their items to the recycling centre at Arkwright Street.

“We will do everything we can to fight this closure and I would urge anyone wanting to help our campaign to send an email to mark.alcock@oldham.gov.uk.”

Fellow Shaw Councillor Howard Sykes added: “Closing Beal Hey will lead to an increase in fly tipping which would have to be dealt with and paid for by Oldham Council.

“Beal Hey is a very popular facility. If you go at weekend, you have to queue to get in.

“I am always hearing praise for the staff who run the site and people travel from all over the borough and beyond to use the facility. It is very well run and should definitely stay open.”

A series of refurbishments were made at Beal Hey last year, including clearer traffic signals and CCTV, as part of a £631 million programme to improve recycling facilities across Greater Manchester.

The team which runs the site was nominated for a Pride in Oldham Award in 2005.

Councillor Neil Swannick, GMWDA chairman, said: “I don’t want to close any sites at all but the reality is the district councils who pay a levy to GMWDA are under considerable pressure from the government.

“We’ve been asked to make savings where we can and to use our money to the best advantage.”