Councillors clash over proposal to open recycling centres on a Sunday

Alliance Councillor Aaron Skinner tabled a motion seeking Sunday opening at the borough’s main HRCs at a recent council meeting.

Recycling centres in Larne and Ballymena were already closed on Sundays and Sunday opening at Sullatober, in Carrickfergus, was dropped when a new schedule came into effect in April.

Cllr Skinner told the meeting residents pay for the service and most work Monday to Friday “If we want to encourage people to recycle, then we have to give them time to actually do it,” he stated.

“This is not something new or risky. Sullatober has run a Sunday rota for years without any problems. Larne did the same and since Sunday opening stopped, we have had complaints from residents about lack of access and from staff who have seen their pay cut and morale drop.

“We already run plenty of services on a Sunday. Our leisure centres are open with lots of staff on site every week.”

He went on to say if cost is a concern, a weekday session could be dropped instead. “Leisure centres are open on a Sunday because that is when people use them and recycling centres should be no different,” he added.

The proposal was seconded by party colleague Cllr Lauren Gray who added: “This for me is really about fairness. Whatever your circumstances, as a ratepayer, you have the same access to services across all areas of our borough.”

Ulster Unionist Cllr Roy Beggs said the motion “fails to recognise they are open two evenings each week”. The main centres are open to 7 o’ clock on Thursday and Friday nights and they are also open on a Saturday.

Cllr Beggs pointed out it is double time payment for all staff on a Sunday, so there would be “considerable additional cost involved in opening on a Sunday”.

“Savings will be required to employ additional staff on a Sunday. Not only that, twice as much savings will be required for the equivalent amount of time. There may be knock-on effects. Some of our containers may need emptied after a busy Saturday.”

Cllr Beggs proposed an amendment that officers review and prepare a report outlining options, including an estimate of additional cost to ratepayers, should council decide to open on a Sunday with potential restriction of other opening.

DUP Cllr Gregg McKeen seconded the amendment saying: “Before we make a decision, we need the facts and data in front of us. Cost is one element.”

Alliance Cllr Chelsea Harwood asked: “Is it not perfectly normal procedure if should a motion be successful for council officers to take it away to do these financial reports?

“I find it so peculiar that councillors would not want front-line services at all times for members of this borough.”

Interim chief executive Valerie Watts said within standing orders, there is the option to make an amendment to a motion.

Sinn Fein Cllr Archie Rae said he believed it has already been through the council and costed and that it was too expensive to open on Sundays.

“I have spoken to some of the workers in Ballymena and they say they work six days a week and a Sunday is their only day off. If we have costed it once, why should we go through the whole procedure again?”

TUV Cllr Matthew Warwick said he was going to be the first councillor to mention “Sabbath Day observance”. which he described as a “traditional viewpoint” adding “a lot of us still believe dearly in that”.

He indicated he has spoken to workers in recycling centres in Ballymena and Larne and reported that there is “no appetite for this amongst the workforce”.

Cllr Skinner said he was “happy to accept the amendment” that members follow “standard procedures of this council”.

Cllr Rae insisted: “We have already voted on Sunday closing. Are we actually going to check again something we have already checked?”

The interim chief executive said: “This will not be a difficult thing to do as there was a lot of groundwork done in terms of the report when it initially came when this was put forward as one of the savings proposals, so it will not be too hard to resurrect and update all of that information one more time.”

Sinn Fein Cllr Ian Friary asked that the arrangement be “left the way it is”.

Cllr Beggs said a review of services might mean “tweaking” evening opening hours. “It is open to what might work and not simply saying we keep the status quo,” he remarked.

Cllr Skinner said: “I think the magic bullet of opening until 7pm in the evening ignores a lot of our residents.

“It was discussed in August 2023 as part of an idea of rationalisation which was for all household recycling centres to be treated the same. At that point, Carrick was the only one still open on a Sunday. We are no longer in the financial situation that we were back then.”

An officer read the amended motion which proposed the council “recognises most residents of Mid and East Antrim work Monday to Friday and recognises the importance of providing extended opening hours at our recycling centres which currently open on Saturdays and some evenings to facilitate residents.

“We request that officers review and prepare a report outlining options that might improve the household recycling service including an estimate of the additional cost to ratepayers should council decide to open on a Sunday and outline the degree of restrictions of existing opening times that would be required to make the equivalent savings.”

Following a vote in which 24 councillors were in favour, eight against and one abstention, the amended motion was carried.