Nusrat Ghani MP statement on recent progress regarding the Forest Row Household Waste Recycling Site
"I’m pleased to learn that the Forest Row Parish Council approved the making of a bid to the County Council for the freehold of the old Household Waste Recycling Site in the village. If successful, the site will then be leased to a Community Interest Company which now stands ready to run a bespoke recycling/re-use centre as a community business.
The proposals suggest that the site could be a space to dispose of recyclable waste such as metal, small electrical goods or wood, but also a space to dispose of waste that is not currently segregated by Wealden District Council. Additionally, the Waste Recycling Action Group (WRAG) would like to set up a community shop, where disposed items could be repaired and sold for reuse. The recycling centre provides a vital service for so many local people and this move would aid in educating the community about waste and environment, as well as create local jobs.
Since 2018, I have been campaigning against the closure of Forest Row recycling centre and I made repeated representations to the East Sussex County Council and supported the locals in sharing their views with the Council. After speaking to WRAG representatives, I convened and chaired a meeting with the leader of the East Sussex County Council in December last year to discuss the reopening of the site.
I welcome the cooperation between the Parish and the County Councils and progress made to date. I have continued to both explain the importance of this local asset to the Council and ask of them to do everything they can to ensure that the bid is supported. I trust that the County Council will fully considered this proposal and I look forward to a positive working relationship to ensure that we get the service reinstated and enhance the re-use and recycling capacity of the village.
Keeping the recycling centre open is an important step to ensuring that residents of not just Forest Row but across the whole of Wealden do their bit to protect the environment and it is a unique opportunity to progress a project supporting Wealden towards ‘zero-waste’."
