The infrastructure minister says the Department of Infrastructure (DoI) has no plans to take over the operation of the Northern Civic Amenity Site.

Ramsey Commissioners has been managing the facility at Balladoole Farm, Bride Road, on behalf of the department since April, when its future was in doubt. However, it has now informed the DoI that it does not wish to continue beyond the end of the current financial year.

Infrastructure Minister Michelle Haywood confirmed the department is paying £50,000 to fill the gap left in the site’s finances.

Dr Haywood said the committee previously responsible for the site decided at the end of last year that it could no longer operate it and handed it back to the department.

‘The DoI recognises that it’s a really important facility for residents of the north, so we stepped in,’ she said. ‘As an interim measure, Ramsey agreed to manage the site for one year. That contract comes up at the end of this financial year, and we need somebody to take over.

‘Our first step was to write to all the northern authorities asking if they were interested in taking over management, as that’s how the other amenity sites are run. If none of the northern boards are comfortable doing it, our plan is to go out to procurement and find somebody to run the site. Ramsey has told us they don’t want to continue, so we need someone else to operate it. We’ll also be looking to recover the cost from local authorities, as it’s something charged for in people’s rates.’

Dr Haywood said the department did not have the capacity to run the site itself.

‘We don’t have the staff to manage the site or to operate it, including the reuse centre,’ she said. ‘It will have to go out to contract. We’re working out what that procurement exercise looks like and will be going out to tender.’

She said her preference would be for the northern local authorities to agree on how to run and fund the site.

‘I’d rather the local authorities got together again and agreed how to manage and fund it,’ she said. ‘However, it’s not acceptable to leave that part of the island without access to an amenity site. We know how useful it is for residents. We’re not willing to let it close down, but we do need to work out how it moves forward.’

Dr Haywood said the department had written to local authorities this month seeking expressions of interest.

‘If that fails and we need to go out to procurement, we’ll need time to prepare documents, allow bids and appoint a contractor,’ she said. ‘We’ll probably need most of the time between Christmas and April to get that in place. It’s tight, certainly, but we were hoping Ramsey would continue.’

Clerk of Ramsey Commissioners Derek Flint said: ‘We will continue to work with the Department of Infrastructure on the provision of waste services in the north.’

Earlier this year, the DoI agreed to cover a funding shortfall to prevent the site’s closure after Bride Commissioners withdrew from the funding arrangement. A Freedom of Information response showed the department contributed £48,950 while revised fees were agreed with northern authorities.