CONGLETON'S household waste recycling centre looks to have been given a stay of execution due to an 'administrative error'.

Cheshire East's cabinet was due to 'agree that the Congleton household waste recycling centre (HWRC) will not be replaced' while a borough-wide review of the centres was undertaken at its meeting earlier today (Tuesday, April 13).

However, the ruling Labour-Independent coalition have been forced to push their plans back to the next cabinet meeting.

"Unfortunately, it did come to light quite late on in the proceedings that there was an administrative error in the cabinet papers," Cllr Laura Crane, cabinet member for highways and waste, said.

"I don't believe that there is anything substantive that would cause us to change our decision — but given the importance of the matter before us today.

"I would request that we defer to May cabinet to allow us to review and to ensure that we are making the correct decision and have all the information available to us on the day."

Congleton is set to lose its tip, off Barn Road, in September, when the lease on the land ends. Planning documents show Bluemantle, the owner of the site has earmarked it to become a Costa coffee drive-through outlet.

Although councillors did not discuss the controversial plans in detail, Congleton representatives still took the opportunity to speak out against the closure.

Last month, the borough's environment regeneration and overview scrutiny committee recommended that a task and finish group should look at 'all available options' for a recycling site for Congleton and report back within six months.

Congleton Town Councillor Robert Douglas said: "Some cabinet members sit in front of a placard proudly [displaying] a commitment to reduce carbon.

"This [decision] does not reduce carbon. Why have you failed to make any mention of the overview and scrutiny committee [report]?

"If it is not mentioned it fails your promise on carbon and you fail the residents of Congleton and your environment."

Fellow Congleton Town Councillor, Suzy Firkin said: "I was fortunate enough to address a recent environment and scrutiny committee on the recommendations surrounding the closure of Congleton household waste and recycling centre.

"I was really delighted when the committee made the eminently sensible recommendation that a task and finish group should be created to review 'all available options' for establishing a new recycling centre in Congleton.

"So, I was puzzled when there was no mention of this [task and finish group] in the cabinet papers which were originally issued for this meeting.

"I hope to see that the environment and scrutiny recommendations as an item on the May cabinet agenda, now that it has been deferred.

"Or are cabinet so hell-bent on the closure of the Congleton site that they will ride roughshod over democratic processes of this council."

Cllr Firkin continued: "We have already seen, I believe erroneous data, flawed consultation and a lack of engagement with local stakeholders to deliver an environmentally damaging outcome.

"Will we also add trashing the scrutiny committee system to that as well, and if we do, how can I as a town councillor representing the needs and views of residents appeal against that decision which goes against their best interests."

Congleton ward councillor Rob Moreton said: "I am asking cabinet members to take this delay as a time to reflect, come back in May and pass this massive decision to the new committee system, where a more transparent decision can be made."

Previously, CEC's environment overview and scrutiny committee had attempted to make the council undertake a last-ditch attempt to purchase the land.

However, an officer's report into a potential sale of the land found that it would cost £4 million to do so.

"Not replacing the current facility in Congleton would reduce the future running cost of the HWRC service and so partly mitigate the anticipated increased cost of the new contract," the report said.

"Furthermore, it would avoid the cost associated with repaying the capital investment required to deliver a replacement facility at Congleton which is estimated to be £250,000 per annum."

In the spring of 2018, Cheshire East Council's then portfolio holder for finance, Paul Bates, told the annual meeting of Congleton Town Council he had authorised the spending of £50,000 on consultants to look for an alternative site for Congleton.

Cheshire East Council does not own the lease at the existing site in Congleton, but in February 2020, the authority approved a £4million budget for a new purpose-built recycling site for Congleton.

Although the current lease expires in September 2021, there is a break clause included in the contract, which means the site owner could close the tip before then if they gave the council "sufficient notice".

This means Cheshire East would have to commission and fund creating a new facility in Congleton – a capital cost of around £4m, leading to around £250,000 per year in additional costs for the council.

Whilst the council's Medium Term Financial Strategy – their budget plans for the next four years - includes £4m for Congleton HWRC, it is within the addendum to their capital programme.

This means that it could only go ahead once a detailed business case has been approved to make sure the proposal is affordable.

As a result, the council proposed that they do not replace Congleton's HWRC with a new facility once the current site's lease comes to an end.

The nearest alternative sites for residents served by Congleton HWRC are Alsager (around eight miles away) and Macclesfield (around six miles away).

Currently, the council is also considering the future of the borough's seven other tips, as the contract to run them ends in 2023.