FERMANAGH and Omagh District Council collected one of the lowest amounts of household waste in the North, as concerns grow among ratepayers and homeowners who say they wait weeks at times for their bins to be lifted.
The ‘Herald understands that, in some areas of the county, residents are waiting more than four weeks for bin collections, with reports of rodents being spotted near homes.
Figures recently released by the council show a 4.4 percent decrease in the amount of waste lifted between October and December 2023, compared with the same period the previous year. Fermanagh and Omagh was one of only two councils in the North to report a decline in household waste collection, alongside Newry, Mourne and Down.
The refuse department in Fermanagh and Omagh is under increasing strain, with seasonal staff hired last summer to help meet demand.
Currently, the Drummee landfill site on the Derrygonnelly Road outside Enniskillen is operating at high capacity.
The council is now considering options for how to manage the site going forward.
A ‘Business Case for Consideration and Noting’ presented to the council estimates that capping the site will cost £1,982,453.
‘The proposal involves capping the site with a flat profile on top, where a wetlands system will be constructed and developed,’ the business case noted.
‘The constructed wetlands system will manage rainfall runoff and treat leachate from the site in an environmentally sustainable manner, as well as supporting increased biodiversity in the area.’
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