Should neighbouring councils pay towards recycling centres running costs?

Gwynedd should consider asking neighbouring councils for contributions towards their recycling centres if used by residents from outside the county.
This was among the ideas tabled by councillors during a discussion on the authority’s waste collection service, with members broadly supportive of changes being brought in to improve the offering.
Gwynedd Council operates eight recycling centres across the county, namely Caernarfon, Bala, Bangor, Blaenau Ffestiniog, Dolgellau, Harlech, Pwllheli and Garndolbenmaen.
In 2018 it shelved long-term plans to shut one of the centres in a bid to save £100,000 due to “their popularity with the general public.”
But suggestions have now been made that Gwynedd should consider asking neighbouring councils for contributions towards the running costs of some “border” centres.
Addressing the Communities Scrutiny Committee meeting in Caernarfon on Tuesday, one Blaenau Ffestiniog councillor outlined the popularity of the town’s facility with residents living in Conwy county.
Cllr Glyn Daniels, who represents Diffwys a Maenofferen, said: “The Blaenau Ffestiniog centre is on the border with Conwy, how many Conwy residents are using our centre (in Blaenau) and Bala, and how much is this costing the authority?
“I know Conwy residents often have to pay to use their centres and I’m sure that people living Betws y Coed, for example, aren’t going to travel all the way to Mochdre  are they?
“It would be an idea to have some sort of arrangement in place, based on what its costing us.”
In response, members were told that while this was not currently being monitored and had not been explored in the past, there had been an arrangement with Powys in regards to a recycling centre in Machynlleth.
Officers acknowledged that this “could be explored in future” with residents not currently being asked where they lived when using the Gwynedd centres.
Whereas Gwynedd’s recycling centres generally accept most domestic, but not commercial, waste, Conwy has a different system in place.
Since 2016, in a bid to save £100,000, there are charges in place for some ‘non-household materials’ like soil, bricks, rubble, tyres and gas canisters at its centres based at Mochdre and Abergele.

By Gareth Williams – Local Democracy Reporter