News

Hot on the heels of the Kent Community Recycling Centre in Hawkinge being forced to close last month, the future of the Kent County Council (KCC) rubbish tip in the town could now be in jeopardy.

In fact the future of the Household Waste Recycling Centre service provided by KCC across the county is currently under review.

A public consultation running from 1 December is expected to give everyone in Kent the opportunity to contribute to the decision-making process although a postal questionnaire will only be distributed to random addresses.

Residents in Hawkinge may wish to ponder Question 16, which asks: 'Taking into account proposals to improve the facility at Ashford, do you believe it is reasonable to close the out of date and expensive to operate site at Hawkinge, provided services exist within a 20 minute drive time of your home?'

If you did receive a letter inviting you to join the consultation, it explains you have been selected at random and asks that the recipient gets others to respond too.

The questionnaire included with the letter asks for views on a range of areas and options, identified by the council for change.

Included within this are of six proposed policies for consultation for which KCC proposes to make the following changes to current service at the Household Waste Recycling Centres:

1. Prohibit the deposit of tyres, gas bottles and asbestos
2. Limit construction waste to two (30 litre) sacks
3. Cease opening height barrier at Household Waste Recycling Centres on
Wednesdays with provision made for domestic over-height vehicles on Saturdays
4. Prohibit access of vans, trucks, flat-bed vehicles and trailers to Household Waste Recycling Centres
5. Introduction of permit scheme along the west-Kent boundary to prevent non-Kent residents using Household Waste Recycling Centres
6. Consider future changes to the network to ensure efficiency

People who have not received a letter can obtain the questionnaire online at www.kent.gov.uk/hwrcconsultation, telephone: 08458 247 247 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week) or Textphone (minicom): 08458 247 905

The consultation runs from 1 December 2011 to Thursday 9 February 2012.

All comments received will be published online on the KCC consultation portal.

Hawkinge Gazette and Channel Coast News 2011©