Contact: David Ward, ext 7007 email: [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1 The following decisions are sought:

(i) That the Buildings, Land and Procurement Panel, in noting the comments of the Executive Member for Environment, advises that the Executive Member for Policy and Resources approves the Project Appraisal for the construction of a new household waste recycling centre at Luzborough Depot, Romsey, at an estimated cost of £1,692,000.

(ii) That the Buildings, Land and Procurement Panel advises that the Executive Member for Policy and Resources gives authority to acquire the freehold interest in 0.35 hectares (0.87 acres) of land at Luzborough Depot, Romsey for the construction of a Household Waste Recycling Centre and to enter into a lease of the remaining 0.65 hectares (1.6 acres) for the continued use as a chippings depot on the basis set out in the report and on other detailed terms and conditions to be settled by the Director of Property Business and Regulatory Services (Head of Estates).

(iii) That the Executive Member for Policy and Resources, in noting comments of the Executive Member for Environment, approves the Project Appraisal for the construction of a new household waste recycling centre at Luzborough Depot, Romsey, at an estimated cost of £1,692,000.

(iv) That the Executive Member for Policy and Resources gives authority to acquire the freehold interest in 0.35 hectares (0.87 acres) of land at Luzborough Depot, Romsey for the construction of a Household Waste Recycling Centre and to enter into a lease of the remaining 0.65 hectares (1.6 acres) for the continued use as a chippings depot on the basis set out in the report and on other detailed terms and conditions to be settled by the Director of Property Business and Regulatory Services (Head of Estates).

(v) That the Executive Member for Policy and Resources approves the submission of a planning application seeking consent to carry out the construction of a new household waste recycling centre at Luzborough Depot, Romsey.

2. Reason

2.1 The construction of a new household waste recycling centre (HWRC) at Romsey will support the Minerals and Waste Development Framework Strategy by developing and implementing a new site that is more efficient and cost-effective, and provides high quality household recycling facilities to increase recycling rates.

2.2 The Executive Member for Environment commends the project appraisal to the Executive Member for Policy and Resources, as the development of a new HWRC at the Luzborough Depot will improve waste and recycling facilities and will ensure the HWRC service is more accessible to a greater number of Test Valley residents, especially those located in southern Test Valley.

2.3 However, the Executive Member for Environment is aware of concerns that have been raised by the Member for Romsey Extra, who supports the need for a new HWRC to better serve Romsey but has registered objections to the Luzborough site, regarding the impacts on local residents. As these concerns are principally planning-related issues, the Executive Member for Environment considers that the issues raised by the Member for Romsey Extra are best tested through the planning application process.

3. Other Options Considered and Rejected

3.1 Alternative options considered and discounted on the grounds of being unable to meet the requirements for improving the HWRC service for the Romsey area included:

(i) retaining the existing Casbrook HWRC in Timsbury exactly as it is, without carrying out any improvements - the site is too small to cope with any increasing local population, is a `single-level' site which requires regular closing for bin changes and perhaps most importantly of all is poorly located;

(ii) redeveloping the existing Casbrook HWRC to provide a slightly larger `single-level' site - this option will again not properly cater for user demand, will still mean site closure for bin changes and does not address the inappropriate location issue;

(iii) redeveloping the existing Casbrook HWRC to provide a small `split-level' site - this option was discounted on engineering grounds. The current HWRC is immediately adjacent to a closed landfill site. It is not deemed sensible or economic to disturb part of the landfill site in order to provide a larger HWRC footprint; and

(iv) providing a new `split-level' HWRC on land located adjacent to the existing Casbrook HWRC - this option is likely to cost as much as the Luzborough Depot proposal, is arguably more in the open countryside and again will not serve a wider catchment area than the existing site. It is therefore not an economical proposition.

4. Conflicts of Interest Declared by the Decision Maker or Other Executive Member Consulted - None.

5. Dispensation granted by the Standards Committee - None.

6. Reason(s) for the Matter being dealt with if Urgent - None.

Approved by: ..................................... Date: ...................................

Councillor T K Thornber CBE

Executive Member for Policy and Resources

1034Decn/DW