Future of March Recycling Centre to be discussed at meeting
Meeting to be held by council this week
Plans to relocate the Household Recycling Centre in March to a new site will be discussed by councillors at a meeting this week.
Members of Cambridgeshire County Council’s Environment and Green Investment Committee will debate the matter at a meeting at New Shire Hall on Thursday 28 April, with councillors asked to recommend a preferred design option for further development.
The town’s existing HRC, off Hundred Road, must close by December 2024 under its current planning consent. To ensure that residents have continued access to household waste recycling services, the council is proposing to relocate the facility to a site adjacent to the March Waste Transfer station in Melbourne Avenue.
The proposed option is a split-level design, maximising the capacity for queueing vehicles off the public highway and with separate Heavy Commercial Vehicle (HCV) access. It would also have a single operational area with dedicated parking bays.
Estimates indicate that the number of households in March will increase by approximately 26 per cent by 2031 with a potential rise in waste production of up to 6,240 tonnes. Any new facility will need to cater for future demand and operate in line with best standards.
Once a preferred design option has been selected, a public consultation is proposed to be carried out, including drop-in sessions for residents to have their say.
A planning application for the new site is expected to be submitted later this year.
Councillor Lorna Dupré, Chair of the County Council’s Environment and Green Investment committee said: “Our network of household recycling centres provides a vital service for residents. The centres accept items for reuse, as well as providing opportunities to recycle as much waste as possible. They also support the council’s zero-carbon ambition, which is one of our key aims.
“We are fully committed to providing a new facility in March to meet growing demand and keen to move these proposals forward. We will actively engage with residents through a public consultation and will make further announcements in due course.”