Months of delays added to West Berkshire waste wars resolution

WEST Berkshire residents may have to wait until September before they can take their household waste to the Padworth Recycling Centre.

Residents living in the east of the district used to be able to dump their rubbish at the Smallmead tip in Reading, but have been unable to use the facility since owner Re3 introduced a ban.

Plans to expand the Padworth site to accept household waste were due to be decided in January, but had to be withdrawn at the 11th hour after a solicitor’s letter threatened legal action.

At a meeting of West Berkshire Council’s executive last week, Mollie Lock (Lib Dem, Mortimer) asked when the application would be resubmitted.

The portfolio holder for planning and housing Hilary Cole (Con, Chieveley) replied: “The planning applications to extend the opening hours and introduce residual waste at the Padworth Household Waste Recycling Centre will be submitted by our waste contractor, Veolia.

“Before re-submitting the applications, additional survey work will be completed so an exact date can’t be provided at this stage, but they anticipate that they will be submitted in April.

“Once submitted and validated, the planning authority should make a decision within 16 weeks, so, if approved, we could make the service changes in August or September.”

Following the Smallmead ban, West Berkshire Council introduced its own permit scheme banning residents in Reading and Hampshire from using West Berkshire recycling facilities.

However, some Hampshire residents have since been issued temporary permits.

Mrs Lock replied: “Some of our residents in Calcot and Tilehurst are driving miles to get to a site.

“Is it possible in your mind to issue permits even if it’s with a small cost to residents in the East, because we were able to issue ones for Hampshire very quickly?”

Mrs Cole answered: “I think it’s the Re3 that were reluctant to issue permits, Councillor Lock, rather than us being unwilling to negotiate that.

“I think we were willing to do that but there was reluctance on the part of that authority.”