'New information' about tip set for closure emerges

A councillor is fighting to overturn the decision to close a household waste recycling centre after "new information" came to light.

Kirklees Council confirmed in August that the tip on Nab Lane in Birstall would shut as part of cost-cutting measures.

However, Josh Sheard, who represents the town, said he had uncovered planning conditions which stipulate that if the site ceases to be operational for 12 months, it must be restored to woodland.

The council said it was aware of the conditions, but that it was currently "exploring options" over its future use. Sheard has referred the issue to the authority's legal team.

The recycling centre will close at 16:00 GMT on Sunday.

The decision was made after all five household waste sites in the district were reviewed and it was found that £7m would need to be spent to bring Nab Lane up to modern standards.

The tip's decommissioning would save £200,000 over two years, the council said.

Sheard, a Conservative councillor, said he believed the closure would lead to an increase in fly-tipping incidents.

He discovered the planning conditions imposed on the site when studying previous applications relating to the land.

He said: "If the Nab Lane facility stops being used as a recycling centre for a period of more than 12 months, the area has be restored to woodland, with a five-year programme of aftercare to follow.

"I'd have thought the council would have said it would have cost them "X" amount of money to restore the site, but they said it would save them £200,000."

Sheard added that he believed the restoration work could incur far greater costs than the savings made by the shutdown.

However, Kirklees Council responded to his concerns by stating that the environmental permit for Nab Lane would be transferred from the contractor that operated the tip back to the authority, which would not trigger the clause.

A spokesperson for Kirklees Council said: “The council was aware of the current planning conditions on the Nab Lane site prior to making the decision to close the Household Waste Recycling Centre at this location.

“The savings made by the decision to close Nab Lane do not include any costs related to future use of the site and our team are currently exploring options.”

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