Alex Easton MLA and Councillor Wesley Irvine have today handed a petition of over 4000 names into Ards and North Down Council asking for Council to return the Recycling System back to the original way it operated.
Speaking today Alex Easton MLA said:
“Its is quite clear the public are really unhappy with the decision the council have made in relationship to introducing a booking system at the Recycling centers. While I understand the Council need to save money by reducing what they send to land fill this is really not the way to do this. Firstly there was no public consultation on the issue which leaves the council open to a Judicial Review, this new operating model also lead to a reduction in recycling as it discourage people going to the recycling centers because they are restricted to the amount of times they can go and they have to book an appointment. Many people especially the elderly do not have access to a computer and as such are penalized by the new online booking system. Also having used the new booking system recently I was informed by staff there was a 70% in people using the facility in Balloo in Bangor. All of this really defeats our need to meet recycling targets and is counterproductive. It is my believe this will lead to more fly tipping and we have seen this at Craigantlet already and Millisle. reality is the Council need to listen to the public and simply by much more stricter enforcing what goes into the landfill containers at the civic amenity’s sites they can still operate the recycling centers as before. Time this Council started to listen because since my time councilors Officers seem to rule the roost and that is not good for how a Council should run.”
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