Contact: Clare Saunders, ext 5835 email: [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1 The existing household waste recycling centre at Casbrook is small and suffers from congestion on-site and traffic queueing during peak periods. Options for upgrading or replacing the site have been under consideration for some time. This report analyses the results of extensive site investigations and recommends that the current proposal for replacement at the Luzborough Depot site not be pursued and that options to improve the existing facility be evaluated alongside other options for increasing service provision off-site.

1.2 The following decisions are sought:

(i) That minor improvements to the existing Casbrook household waste recycling centre be evaluated and the replacement at the Luzborough Depot site be discontinued.

(ii) That options for provision of off-site reception for green waste during peak periods be investigated.

(iii) That the Household Waste Recycling Strategy for Hampshire be reviewed.

(iv) That a watching brief be kept on the planned and planning development related to other potential sites, and to review the position and available sites within a three to five year period.

2. Reason

2.1 The County Council's strategy is to improve Hampshire's quality of place by using material resources more efficiently. A programme to upgrade household waste recycling sites is part of the strategy to increase recycling levels and respond to the increased customer demand by providing high quality, fit for purpose facilities, convenient to main centres of population.

2.2 It has not been possible to find a suitable replacement site at this time and therefore the recommendations propose a way forward for continued and improved provision of the household waste recycling centre service for Romsey.

3. Other Options Considered and Rejected

3.1 A replacement site at the Luzborough Depot had been under consideration as the only suitable option currently available. However, significant issues have been raised concerning increased traffic movements, in particular on Halterworth Lane and the impact on routes to the three schools in the area.

3.2 As a result of these concerns a revised site search has been carried out and a large number of sites evaluated in terms of availability, proximity, site suitability, transaction costs, accordance with planning policy and traffic impacts.

3.3 It has not been possible to identify a suitable alternative site.

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

1171Decn/CS