Cupar Recycling Centre: call for ‘real progress’ as reuse-recycle facility raised

A new dedicated project manager has been appointed, and a working group set up to push the options for a bigger facility in Cupar.

The problem has been on councillors’ agendas for several years with the town’s existing site too small and can’t be expanded - but all efforts to find a new location have yet to deliver.

A report to Fife Council’s north-east Fife area committee accepted progress to date had been slow - money was set aside for a new facility in 2022 - and councillors were clear they wanted to see real progress going ahead.

Last October, the local authority said it had looked at six sites for a new household waste recycling centre - with little success. Locations including Coal Road Yards, Prestonhall, Duffus Park, Tarvit Green, and Cupar Mill were all largely rejected.

Councillor Jonny Tepp, committee convener, welcomed the latest report, adding: “We have waited a long time for it. We are all disappointed it has taken so long to get here, but we are hopeful that with a senior officer in charge it will lead to it moving forward with as much pace as possible. There is a lot of urgency that we see real progress.said:”

The committee was told of the challenges officers had faced trying to find a bigger site. Those hurdles had led to political discussions about a change in direction, and the possibility of a new ‘recycling and reuse hub’ which, if implemented could be a blueprint for other such facilities across Fife. Sites for such a model in Cupar are now being explored.

A report to the committee said: “The current recycling centre is in a good central location but has a small footprint and is not suitable for additional facilities. There are also traffic management issues with the access road and a booking system has been implemented to control the user numbers.

"Greater investigation into potential sites is required, if nothing suitable emerges within a reasonable period of time, some lateral thinking and

community support may be required to reach a solution."

Recycling and reuse Hubs are generally sited in town centres to provide maximum accessibility for the community. However, there are limited options in the centre of Cupar. Two town centre sites have been assessed, both present challenges and further feasibility work would need to be undertaken should no suitable alternative be found.

Gap sites and the demolition of existing buildings should be considered for new build construction, if a suitable existing building cannot be found.

The problems facing local residents was highlighted by Councillor Stefan Hoggan-Radu (Cupar, SNP) who said: “Cupar and north-east Fife is disadvantaged when it comes to recycling centres. It is easier for me to go to Glenrothes despite living in Cupar.”