County Council set to waste money with building blunder

Instead, the Conservative controlled Norfolk County Council are proposing to move a waste disposal site - plans described as “Rubbish!” by local residents.

The controversial scheme is about the Sheringham Household Waste Recycling Centre, which sits on the A148 coast road. The facility does need enlarging, but for a fraction of the cost it could be expanded and reorganised on its current site.  However, Conservative councillors want to spend two million pounds on moving it just across the road to a new location, right next door to the Hilltop Outdoor Activity Centre.  This is also an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The Liberal Democrat controlled North Norfolk District Council strongly opposes these plans, and local councillors would prefer it if the County Council spent the money on a roundabout at the top of Holway Road to help traffic flow and improve road safety - something they say would be welcomed by local residents.

Steffan Aquarone, who’s aiming to become the next MP for North Norfolk, said:

“The whole scheme is an utter waste of council tax payers' money, when so many other areas are desperately under funded and starved of cash.”  He is particularly concerned that the Norfolk County Council scheme to move the site doesn't have to go through the same planning permission process as a house or industrial site - instead the County Council uses its own planning process to determine applications such as this.

Mr Aquarone, the Liberal Democrat candidate for North Norfolk and a County Councillor himself, said that the County Council is: “Setting itself up for a judicial review again, all over a planning project, something that would again be a huge waste of public money.” He added: “This scheme to move the recycling centre should itself be consigned to the rubbish bins, and the funds involved recycled to where they can be better used to help local people and local communities.”