Infrastructure Minister reveals work ongoing to re-open 'Reuse Centre' at La Collette

  • Fred Dimbleby has been hearing from those hoping the La Collette upcycling centre could be given a new lease of life

Work is underway to reopen the 'Reuse Centre' at La Collette, according to Jersey's government.

The facility was previously operated by the charity, Acorn, but closed during the pandemic.

Campaigners had been calling for the site to reopen, citing the benefits it would pose for the environment and the cost of living crisis.

Nigel Jones, from Jersey in Transition, said: "People are coming here anyway with things they are going to discard or recycle.

"To give them the option to put them for reuse at the last second is just perfect because they can just walk them into the reuse building, hand them over and the staff will say 'that's brilliant we'll put them on display'."

Environmental campaigner Nigel Jones is among those hoping the La Collette facility could be re-opened Credit: ITV Channel

The issue was due to be debated in the States Assembly in September after St Helier Deputy Catherine Curtis lodged a proposition calling for the site to reopen.

She said: "It does fit in with government plans so I think what we are doing is being helpful.

"Certainly the Infrastructure Minister has a lot of other things to focus on at the moment, so I'm just thinking this will be a little bit of a push towards getting the reuse centre used again properly."

Jersey's Infrastructure Minister, Deputy Tom Binet, told ITV News that the government had received "a number of expressions of interest" in taking on the site, and work is already underway.

In a statement, the minister said: "The Infrastructure team has received a number of expressions of interest in the Reuse Centre and were already progressing plans for a reopening proposal before the proposition was lodged by Deputy Curtis.

"At their meeting two weeks ago, ministers gave approval for a tender process to move to the next stage so this is already underway."

Given plans are already progressing, it is unclear whether the States debate will still go ahead.

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