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2020.09.08
7 Deputy K.F. Morel of St. Lawrence of the Minister for Infrastructure regarding La
Collette waste collection site: (OQ.219/2020)
Will the Minister state how the current opening hours of La Collette waste collection site differs from the opening hours in September 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic started?
Deputy K.C. Lewis of St. Saviour (The Minister for Infrastructure):
Before the COVID-19 pandemic the La Collette Household Reuse and Recycle Centre was open for 6 days a week and was closed on Wednesdays. Since the pandemic, the La Collette recycle centre is open from Wednesday to Sunday and closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. The daily opening hours have been extended as much as possible to provide as much opening time within the standard working hours of the staff providing this service. These opening times are in response to the additional measures that are required to ensure social distancing and safe operation of the site. The Energy Recovery Facility, bulky waste site and the inert tip head and the commercial green waste reception opening times have reduced and they are no longer open on Saturday mornings. This was also initiated due to COVID-19 restrictions and the requirement to keep staff within their normal standard working patterns. The Metals Recovery Facility is also closed on Saturday mornings and this is under review with the aim of reopening for public customers on Saturday mornings. The opening times for the reception of putrescible and perish waste at the Energy Recovery Facility, and the reception of clinical waste at the clinical waste plant, have remained unchanged. The site opening times are presently under review and the department would like to offer a consistent set of opening times to the public and commercial users.
- Deputy K.F. Morel :
Would the Minister please explain whether it is due to numbers of staff that the opening times, particularly for the recycling facility, have been reduced and whether those reduced numbers of staff are due to them remaining at home on pay due to underlying health conditions?
Deputy K.C. Lewis :
Yes, we do have a few staff who are home because of COVID and the other staff are literally spread out to reduce COVID, and the pattern is there to make sure that both the staff and the public are safe.
- Deputy S.M. Ahier of St. Helier:
The Minister says that the hours have been extended and yet the recycling centre is closing now at 4.00 p.m. instead of 5.00 p.m. Does the Minister accept that by closing the recycling facilities for 2 days a week that this actively discourages people from recycling?
Deputy K.C. Lewis :
On the contrary, the fact that the waste facility or the recycling reuse facility is open on Saturdays and Sundays, people are taking advantage of it. I have been down. I have spoken to customers. I have spoken to the recycle teams and it is a steady flow of people coming through during opening hours. People do appreciate the fact we are now open on Saturdays and Sundays and people are clearing out their spare rooms, their garages, garden sheds and disposing of all their recyclables. I think it is good news.
- Deputy S.M. Ahier :
Yes, of course it was always open at the weekends but there are now continuous queues at the weekends for recycling. Will the Minister reconsider his decision and revert to closing on just one day per week, rather than 2?
Deputy K.C. Lewis :
As I have just explained, we are obviously victims of COVID and we have to keep both our staff and members of the public safe through social distancing and only so many people can we let into the centre at one particular time. As I have just mentioned, I have been down there over the weekend, there are occasions now and again where there is a queue. When we first opened recently then there was a queue but now that seems to have subsided. It is now down to a steady flow of people coming through the recycle centre and disposing of their unwanted items.
- Deputy K.F. Morel :
Would the Minister please confirm how many staff are at home and possibly on full pay, whether or not it is full pay? Would he explain how long they will be allowed to remain at home receiving salaries but at the same time not working? How long is this policy going to remain in place?
Deputy K.C. Lewis :
That is a very good question. I will need to get back to the Deputy on that one. I will check with the department.