'They'll just dump the rubbish everywhere'

The potential closure of the recycling centre in Draperstown will lead to excessive fly-tipping in the Sperrins, a local businessman has said.

Paul McKenna, who owns Straw Service Station, was speaking as concerns continue to grow around the future of the facility.

The Draperstown dump is one of five waste recycling centres which have been earmarked for closure in Mid Ulster.

Back in February, proposed cost savings were approved by Mid Ulster councillors alongside a 7.3 per cent increase in domestic rates in the area.

The closure of five recycling centres – in Moneymore, Castledawson, Draperstown, Coalisland and Fivemiletown – were among the cost saving plans proposed by councillors.

The proposal has sparked anger among locals and has also prompted Ballinascreen Aontú candidate for Carntogher, Noreen McEldowney to launch a petition calling for council to keep the facilities open.

Mr McKenna, a father-of-four, says the closure of the local facility could have a major impact on the environment.

“They (council) send a lorry up and it maybe empties seven skips into the back of that lorry. It's going to take 300 or 400 cars to drive to the nearest dump in Magherafelt to dispose of all this rubbish that one lorry can take from Draperstown. They are talking about saving the environment but they are asking up to 400 cars to drive down every week for a run that one lorry can do. It's absolutely ludicrous,” he said.

“The Sperrins mountains used to be littered with rubbish because people would have flytipped all the time but they are spotless now. There is no way that people in Draperstown will drive 13 miles to the closest skips. They will drive one mile into the mountain and they'll just dump the rubbish everywhere. Up here, it's taken years to get people to think this way to actually go to the skips and now they are going to take it away.

“There is around ten or 12 different skips down in the recycling centre in Draperstown and every time you go to them the place is full. People are making use of them. There is no way that all those people are going to make their way to Magherafelt skips. People will be dumping their rubbish at the foot of Banagher forest.”

Paul says he believes the public should be allowed to give their say on the proposal to close the recycling centre.

He continued: “They had talked about a public consultation but we have heard nothing. To tell you the truth, we pay a huge amounts of rates every year and where our shop is at, we get no benefits. We recycle all our cardboard and that down the street but now they are asking us to drive 13 miles with it. That's a 45 minute round trip. I would like to see the difference in the carbon footprint with three or four hundred cars and two or three lorries.

“It's ridiculous. How many people have actually stopped to think this through about the carbon footprint? They (council) haven't asked the people of Draperstown if they would be willing to make the trip to Magherafelt or Maghera. If you go down to those skips in Draperstown today you will have to wait at them. You'll never drive in there and drive straight up to the skip, it's like going to Lynch's Supermarket, there's always people there.”

The businessman says he is annoyed that his rates have increased yet his services are going to be cut.

“It seems that they (council) just think we are going to roll over and take it. Behind the scenes it seems that they are definitely planning to close it. They are just taking everything out of the town but the rates – they aren't going down any.

“It's so sad that this has been discussed around a table and I don't know who actually made the decision to close it. There is no logic there – it's absolutely ridiculous.

“I would like to see locals come out and campaign against this closure because one thing is for sure, whatever day they close it, it's gone forever. The council aren't going to come and reopen it again in three or four or five years. Once they close it, it's gone.”

Nadia Elalaoui, owner of NME Skin and Beauty in Draperstown, has also expressed anger over the proposed closure.

“I only heard about the potential closure through the grapevine a few months ago and to be honest I thought it was a joke when I heard. I didn't think that they could close it because there are so many businesses and householders in Draperstown that use it. It's going to make Draperstown dirty as people are going to just dump their rubbish,” she said.

“It definitely needs to be reconsidered as they need to realise what impact this is going to have on local businesses and local people. It's a big, big town and it is needed.

“Talking to my clients in the salon, they can't believe it. If you go out to the skips, you can see how busy it is so I don't really understand the council's reason for closing it. It is used so much and it is needed.

“I don't understand why my rates are going up and my services are being taken away from me. I'm really disappointed that they have decided to do this. I think it's a real shame for our community and local businesses to take away a service that is much needed. For me running a business I don't know when I will get the time to go to Magherafelt or to another local skip to dispose of my boxes and recycle properly.

“It would be nice to speak to these people who are making these decisions and find out their reasons why they are making these decisions,” she added.

Ballinascreen Aontú candidate for Carntogher, Noreen McEldowney, who created a petition against the closure of the three local skips in Draperstown, Castledawson and Moneymore, said she is trying to raise as much publicity as possible on this issue. 

“In February of this year local DUP, SDLP and Sinn Féin councillors voted to close the Draperstown recycling centre as well as four others, including Castledawson and Moneymore recycling centres,” said Mrs McEldowney.  

“The issue of the recycling centres now lies in the hands of a council working group. Unfortunately, this working group consists of the same parties who voted in favour of the closure of Draperstown’s recycling centre. It was advised that the matter would go to the public for consultation but once again this has not happened and is very unlikely to happen before elections.  

“Aontú is completely against these closures. That is why I started a public petition ‘Save Our Skips’ to gather support and raise awareness of the closures. To date we have almost 200 signatures,” continued Mrs McEldowney.

“What is concerning, however, is the lack of exposure on the issue. I have spoken to numerous local business people in Draperstown who rely heavily on the local recycling centre. If the recycling centre closes these people, and the rest of us, will have to go to Magherafelt to get rid of waste. Our local economy will not thrive unless we support our local businesses. Local businesses are already under pressure with the rates increase, lack of local services, such as banks, and now our council wants to remove another service.

“These are vital services to our community, to remove these recycling centres will only lead to more flytipping in our areas. We live in an area of outstanding natural beauty, surely the council should be supporting the maintenance of that beauty and not jeopardising it.” 

Mrs McEldowney added: “It is simply not good enough. I can promise the local people that if elected, myself and Sheila Fullerton candidate for Moyola, will seek a permanent reversal of the decisions to increase rates and close our recycling centres.”

A spokesperson for Mid Ulster District Council said: “Mid Ulster District Council has established a Working Group to develop and review options for rationalisation of waste recycling centres. The working group will also consider how public consultation will be undertaken.”

To sign the petition online visit change.org/p/save-our-skips