A LAND swap deal is proposed to ensure longstanding plans to relocate the household waste recycling centre (HWRC) in Newquay can proceed.

Cornwall Council proposes to transfer the freehold of Trevenson Road Refuse Transfer Station to the Duchy of Cornwall and in return the unitary authority will acquire the freehold of land adjacent to the Newquay Strategic Route, opposite Hendra Holiday Park, to construct the new facility.

The relocation scheme follows criticism the household waste recycling centre at Trevenson Road is no longer fit for purpose.

The new site, part of the Duchy of Cornwall’s Nansledan development, will feature a modern split-level design, increased capacity, and dedicated queueing lanes to ease traffic flow.

The development will proceed under a Local Development Order, streamlining the planning process and allowing construction to begin in 2026 with completion expected in 2027.

The land swap presents no overall cost to the council as the current Trevenson Road site will be swapped directly for the proposed Hendra site.

Cornwall Council is due to make a decision at the extraordinary, individual decision day meeting, which will be held on Wednesday, September 2.

The report going to committee states: “The council’s current refuse transfer and household waste recycling centre on Trevenson Road is in need of replacement due to age and infrastructure limitations.

“The Nansledan development master plan has consistently incorporated a site for the new HWRC. The specific location has been south of the railway line accessed off the Newquay Strategic Route and is north of the Hendra roundabout.

“The proposed new site is owned by the Duchy of Cornwall. They in turn wish to purchase the Trevenson Road site. The proposal is to agree a land swap between the parties. This is a one-to-one transaction under the council’s code of practice for property transactions.

“Respective land values advice is recorded in confidential appendix. The assessment is that the overall land deal enables the council to comply with its obligations under the code of property practice.

“The council and Duchy of Cornwall have been working on the provision of a new HWRC as part of the Nansledan site for over a decade. The land swap principle was agreed at an early stage. This report brings those conversations to a conclusion and enables the council to progress its build ambitions for the new HWRC site.

“The new facility will enable and feature a modern split-level design, incorporating dedicated queuing lanes to manage visitor traffic efficiently. This enhanced layout with split-level vehicle movement, reduce congestion in the Trevenson Road location, and around the school and significantly improve the overall efficiency of the site allowing for the growing population in the Newquay area.”

The funding for the delivery of the new HWRC is met through a combination of existing allocation in the approved capital funding programme and private financing through the PFI contract. The works tender based on the agreed design is managed through the PFI provider, Cornwall Energy Recovery Limited, and its operational and management subcontractor Suez Recycling and Recovery UK Ltd.