The petition of the residents of the United Kingdom,
Declares that the Keighley Household Waste and Recycling Centre located on Royd Ings Avenue in Keighley must be saved from closure by the City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council.
The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge the Government to encourage Bradford Council to U turn immediately on their plans to close the Keighley Household Waste and Recycling Centre and keep the site and much needed service located on Royd Ings Avenue in Keighley, open.
And the petitioners remain, etc.—[Presented by Robbie Moore, Official Report, 23 January 2023; Vol. 726, c. 826.]
[P002795]
Observations from the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Dr Thérèse Coffey):
Thank you very much for sharing your petition with me as Secretary of State at DEFRA. I am very concerned that this valuable service for residents is due to be closed by Bradford City Council, especially when its recycling rate is only 37.8%, considerably lower than the national average.
Household waste recycling centres (HWRCs) play an important role in helping people manage the waste they produce in a convenient and sustainable way. They play a key role in supporting kerbside collections and in boosting recycling. They help ensure waste is disposed of in a responsible way, rather than being fly-tipped.
The Government support comprehensive and frequent waste collection services. Waste disposal authorities have a duty under section 51 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to provide places for residents in their area to deposit their household waste—usually HWRCs. The City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council must be compliant with the legislation through the provision of other HWRCs within its area, though I would urge the council to conder carefully the impact of closing an important service such as a local HWRC.
Local authorities are independent bodies and are accountable to their electorate. I recommend that the petitioners also continue to raise their objections to the closure of the Keighley HWRC with local councillors, who have a responsibility to take their residents’ views into account.