Council bins id check plan for centres

Council bins id check plan for centres

7 September 2022

A CONTROVERSIAL move by Newry, Mourne and Down Council which required ratepayers to produce identification before being admitted to the district’s household recycling centres has been suspended — for the time being.

The move, taken without consulting local politicians, has angered a number of residents with a senior councillor criticising the local authority for going ahead without the approval of elected members.

News that ID would be required to use household recycling centres in Downpatrick, Ballynahinch and Castlewellan was posted on social media last week, but there is concern that no thought was given by council officials to ratepayers, especially the elderly and others, who do not use such platforms to get their information.

Council officials said that without proof of address which could be examined by staff who man the recycling centres, ratepayers could be refused admission.

It is understood the controversial move was precipitated by a significant increase in the amount of waste being dumped at the recycling centres and concerns that people from outside the district were using the local centres.

Yesterday morning it was confirmed that ratepayers would not have to produce ID to access the local recycling centres as the requirement to do so had been suspended, but the issue remains live and is set to be debated at a future meeting of the local authority’s Sustainability and Environment Committee.

Downpatrick councillor Gareth Sharvin is concerned that the decision to implement ID residency checks across the district’s household recycling centres was taken by senior council officers without any consultation with councillors.

“This is fully against the process and procedures we as a council follow and with such a significant change in approach that affects the whole district, this should have been presented as an item at the Sustainability and Environment Committee,” he declared.

“The first I was made aware of this matter was by residents who contacted me after seeing confirmation in the council’s Facebook page informing them that ID checks would take place.”

Cllr Sharvin said that while the legacy Newry and Mourne Council may have been requested ID to access recycling centres, the policy has “never been discussed or agreed by Newry Mourne and Down Council”.

Confirming that he has discussed the issue with a senior council official, Cllr Sharvin confirmed so-called ID residency checks at recycling centres have been discontinued for the time being, with a paper on the issue set to be discussed by local politicians.

He said the paper prepared by council officials is expected to focus on policy change proposals and a review of the approach taken in relation to producing ID to gain access to a local authority facility.

Cllr Sharvin added: “It is vitality important that our household recycling centres are available to all residents across the district and that they do not feel closed off by checks being imposed on them.”

A local authority spokeswoman said all the organisation’s household recycling centres are licensed to receive controlled wastes from householders residing in the Newry, Mourne and Down area.

She said disposing of the waste the council collects in the centres carries a cost which is borne by ratepayers and that accepting significant levels of waste from another district increases costs.

“In recent weeks, the level of use at the recycling sites has significantly increased and while the council has suspended requesting identification, centre staff will continue to interact with site users to ensure any refuse received is from residents living within the district and meets the council’s waste acceptance policy,” the spokeswoman explained.

She added: “The council requests that householders ensure all waste is separated into the appropriate recycling streams as it may not be accepted and that members of the public co-operate with and respect the recycling centre staff as they carry out their duties.”