Council may spend €30m on recycle centre

CORK County Council may be forced to spend €30 million on a recycling and composting centre after talks on a partnership deal with a subsidiary of private operator Greenstar broke down.

A report presented to councillors yesterday estimated that it will cost around €30m, excluding site acquisition, for a 65,000 sq foot recycling centre and a 30,000 sq foot composting unit. Meanwhile, county manager Maurice Moloney said the state-of-the-art landfill at Bottlehill won’t open until June 2008, because the access roads will have to be upgraded first.

Mr Moloney said the council wasn’t under any pressure to open it sooner, because recycling had significantly reduced the amount of waste which will have to be buried at the landfill.

Three other landfills remain in operation in the county.

The life-expectancy of the one in Youghal is four years, while Derryconnell in West Cork has a year and Rossmore has up to six months.

Rossmore still seems the most likely option for the massive recycling and composting centre, but the council is to examine a number of alternatives, which could include farming out such a service to a private operator.