Antrim and Newtownabbey: recycling centre opening hours reduction could cut staff bill by £30k

Councillors were told last month that opening hours at these facilities have been highlighted recently as the local authority considers its financial position ahead of next month’s rates-setting.

Currently, the borough’s five sites are open six days per week with Bruslee in Newtownabbey and Newpark, in Antrim, open on Sundays. The others are located at O’Neill Road, Glengormley, Craigmore Road, Antrim and in Crumlin.

A report to be considered by the committee says that there were 608,226 visits to the borough’s recycling centres during the first 11 months of last year.

Vehicle counting devices show the highest usage during weekdays between 10am and 11am and from 5pm until 6pm. Mondays and Saturdays are the busiest.

The report indicated longer opening hours at recycling centres in Antrim and Newtownabbey overall compared to those in Belfast, Mid and East Antrim and Lisburn and Castlereagh council areas.

It has been proposed opening hours should be reduced to 10am until 6pm, from Monday to Saturday, at all the borough’s recycling centres and at Bruslee and Newpark, on Sundays, from noon until 5pm.

Recycling centres in the borough are open to residents only, Monday to Saturday, from 9am until 8pm and on Sundays, Bruslee is open from 9am until 5pm and Newpark, from noon until 5pm.

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If the proposed reduction is approved, councillors are told that staff costs could be decreased by approximately £30,000 annually and a drop in waste collection at the centres is expected to result in a saving of £40k.

The report to councillors says the proposed new opening hours would result in “better customer service” and that the local authority is “keen to keep the service accessible to all residents”. It is proposed to introduce new opening times from April following staff consultation.

In November, a booking system for medium to large vans was introduced at the borough’s recycling centres for a six-month trial period in a bid to reduce what has been described as “significant congestion”.

The busiest household recycling centre is at O’Neill Road, Glengormley, where 217,604 vehicles arrive annually, followed by Newpark, Antrim with 178,272 vehicles; Bruslee, Newtownabbey, 152,474; Crumlin, 83,154 and Craigmore, Antrim, 47,884. The most waste was brought to Newpark.

A report to councillors said: “While council was keen to keep the recycling centres accessible to all residents, recent site surveys had indicated high levels of van usage which affects the service provided to the other site users.

“The high number of van users at council’s recycling centres was affecting the operation of the facilities leading to significant congestion.”

Michelle Weir, Local Democracy Reporter