" The recycling rate at the Petre Arms site was 72% last year compared with the County average of 57.5%"
Following claims by a Ribble Valley councillor, Lancashire County Council Chiefs have said that the Petre Arms Household Waste Centre at Langho has not escaped closure.
Closure of the Petre Arms site would save the county council in excess of £300,000 per annum which would make an important contribution towards the £12.5m budget gap facing the authority.
Councillor Graham Sowter had said, at a Clitheroe council meeting, that the tip could be open until 2011 as there was a 3 year contract renewal due in 2008.
A review is ongoing into the strategic requirement for the network of household waste centres which make a valuable contribution to recycling and composting in the Lancashire area.
Ribble Valley HWRCs
Total waste arisings in Ribble Valley were 22,500 tonnes last year while the
household waste recycling centres (HWRCs) in the area had a combined throughput of over 12,000 tonnes.
In effect, for every 100 tonnes collected at the kerbside, another 53 tonnes was taken to the centres directly by householders. The recycling rate at the Petre Arms site was 72% last year compared with the County average of 57.5%.
Although a relatively small throughput by normal standards, the Petre site had the highest throughput of the three Ribble Valley sites at 4170 tonnes for 2005/6.
Background to potential closures
A typical split level HWRC
Three household waste centres had been put forward in proposals for budget savings, including the Petre Arms, Langho site. Residents have also been consulted at local stakeholder meetings.
Rather than closing the three sites, it was decided that a full strategic review would be undertaken which would take into account the waste strategy for the Lancashire Waste Partnership. The waste partnership is composed of all 15 waste authorities in the county area.
The site will remain open until the review is completed, however a decision is expected before the household waste site contract comes up for renewal in March next year.