Waste Hub to take step forward ready to be built

3D Image of what the hub may look like

 

Members of St Edmundsbury Borough Council Cabinet are due to discuss the next stages in building the West Suffolk Operational Hub.

 

This is a partnership project that proposes combining the facilities needed for waste and street services on a single site near to Bury St Edmunds.

 

Housing in the West Suffolk area is set to grow by more than 22% over the next 20 years and the West Suffolk Operational Hub will provide capacity and limit the cost of providing waste, recycling, fleet, street cleansing and grounds maintenance services.

In order to make sure work can start as soon as possible members will be asked, subject to receiving planning consent, to agree to the Council exercising its option to buy the required land at Hollow Road Farm.

Councillors will also be asked, subject to receiving planning permission, to agree to enter into a contract to construct the Operational Hub along with partners at Suffolk County Council and Forest Heath District Council.

Current facilities are not fit for purpose and as part of the proposals, the Borough and District Councils will vacate their depots at Holborn Avenue in Mildenhall and Olding Road in Bury St Edmunds and relocate to a single site. This will be shared with a new County Council waste transfer station serving West Suffolk and a new Household Waste Recycling Centre.

Sharing facilities and co-locating waste and recycling services on one site will limit future cost increases and improve facilities as well as meeting future demand. The new site facility would mean reduced waste miles, fewer trips and more efficient collection rounds.

Cabinet Members will also consider approving around an extra £1 million to deliver the project to cover costs brought forward through the detailed consultation, planning and design development stages of the project. The business case for the project remains compelling. Now the detailed plans have been agreed the costs are now firm and include work to finalise the design for elements like drainage, sprinkler systems, building design, foundations and utilities. There has also been some cost increase due to the extra time taken through the consultation and planning stages of the project.

The Cabinet is due to debate the report at their meeting on 5 December.