The Northern Civic Amenity Site (NCAS) will remain open for at least another year, with Ramsey Town Commissioners stepping in to operate the facility on behalf of the Department of Infrastructure (DoI).

This announcement comes after Ramsey Town Commissioners (RTC) had previously stated that they would be handing back control of the site, located at Balladoole Farm on Bride Road, to the DoI on April 30.

At the time, there were concerns that the closure could lead to job losses.

The household waste recycling centre is one of four civic amenity sites in the island and has been the subject of funding disputes since 2023.

The NCAS is managed by a joint committee of representatives from the northern local authorities, while Ramsey Commissioners have been responsible for its operation.

A key issue in the dispute was the financial contribution required from participating authorities.

Bride Commissioners, who had previously contributed around 14% of the NCAS’s annual running costs of £480,000, withdrew from the partnership at the end of March 2024.

Parishioners in Bride had raised concerns that they were paying up to three times more than those in other northern parishes due to the rateable value-based funding model, which the local authority argued was unfair.

The funding disagreement escalated last October when Bride Commissioners accused the NCAS board of trying to ‘bully’ them into compliance.

Several proposals put forward by Bride throughout 2023 were rejected by the NCAS board, and in September of that year, the board dismissed Bride’s objections.

As a result, Bride ceased attending board meetings and formally confirmed its withdrawal from the scheme in March 2024 via a letter submitted by an advocate.

Now, the DoI has announced it will resume control of the NCAS and ensure it remains operational for at least the next 12 months.

It’s been confirmed by the DoI that officers have led negotiations to enable the cooperation of all the northern local authorities, which will continue to fund running costs.

Infrastructure Minister Dr Michelle Haywood MHK said: ‘As far as NCAS users are concerned I am confident that today’s announcement means the north will continue to be served by the site for the next 12 months.

‘Positive talks have taken place over recent weeks, and the Department has agreed to resume control, contracting Ramsey Town Commissioners to operate the facility on the Department’s behalf for the 2025-26 financial year.

‘Department officers have led negotiations to enable the cooperation of all the northern local authorities, which will continue to fund running costs.’

Robert Cowell, chair of Ramsey Town Commissioners, said: ‘This fantastic result has been down to some great work by the officers at both the Department of Infrastructure and Ramsey Commissioners, for which I would like to thank them.

‘I would also like to thank the tireless efforts that have been made by my political colleagues of each northern parish in facilitating this announcement.

‘The staff at the site have also worked extremely hard through a very uncertain and busy period for them, and for that they have our real gratitude.’