Northern tip returns to opening seven days a week

A tip in the north of the Isle of Man has returned to opening seven days a week after reducing its operating hours in July to save money.

The Northern Civic Amenity Site (NCAS) had closed on Sundays and Mondays to in a bid to "sustain" itself after Bride Commissioners withdrew it contribution to the facility.

The committee said the two-day closures did "not achieve" the outcome it had hoped for and as such there was no "benefit" in continuing them.

But it has confirmed the re-use shed at the facility on Bride Road in Ramsey will remain closed for the foreseeable future.

A joint facility represented by members of the local authorities in Andreas, Ballaugh, Lezayre, the Maughold ward of Garff, Jurby and Ramsey and Bride took over the running of the site from the Department of Infrastructure in 2017.

In April, the NCAS made the decision to give the government notice terminate its lease after Bride Commissioners said it could no longer afford to pay its £65,000 ratepayers’ contribution to the facility's running costs.

Although it initially stated it was still able to manage the site for the next financial year despite the shortfall, the committee subsequently made a decision to strip back its opening times from seven days to five.

At the time chairman of the NCAS board Karl Brew said the changes had been made to make sure staff had "adequate time off".

Commenting on the the return to a week-long service, the committee told the Local Democracy Reporting Service "feedback" from members of the public had also driven the change.

However, it confirmed the area for unwanted items left for re-use by others would not reopen.

In August the committee stated it was "not being used for its intended purpose" and had become "increasingly harder" for staff to monitor the area.

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