DOWN Councilor Cadogan Enright has called on ASDA in Downpatrick to undertake their responsibilities to the community and to customer service by providing for the return of recycling at their retail park in Downpatrick.
Cllr Enright said, “I have been corresponding with ASDA on this matter and on other issues, but find them very unresponsive. Finally, after a visit to their offices, ASDA management responded by denying any role in seeing that customers are able to return bottles and other recyclables at their site. ASDA pointed the finger at landlord of the Retail Park, Mr John Miskelly, and the Retail Park Management company, Colliers of Belfast who manage the site for Mr Miskelly. ASDA management supplied me with the number of the Retail Park Management Company”
Cadogan Enright said, “I contacted the management company Colliers and informed their representative that many District residents have asked me to follow up on why recycling facilities disappeared from ASDA last year, and I have been trying to get a response since. Colliers informed me that Mr Miskelly the landlord does not want recycling bins, even for bottles, on account of the danger of rubbish being dumped. It is very odd indeed that the biggest retail park in the District does not support the normal recycling needs of its customers.”
“I made the point that video cameras and this was good enough evidence for the council to prosecute, and a simple notice saying this would dry up any dumping problem immediately, as it has in other retail parks around Northern Ireland and further afield. This is not a new issue and there are obvious ways and means that have been developed to deal with it.”, continued Cllr Enright.
Lindsay Piggot of Colliers the Management Company said that ASDA had requested an internal upgrade of the site including some of the parking area to the rear of Halfords where the job of installing piles has not been finished. But, even when this job was finished, the landlord did not want recycling facilities.
“Essentially both ASDA and their landlord BOTH think it is someone else’s job to provide recycling facilities – and not on their site. Other sites without the same level of video surveillance must be used to support ASDA’s needs. This is not acceptable for several reasons, most especially for the convenience of their customers. I will pursue this matter in every way I can. It is clear that ASDA has a duty to accommodate their customer’s needs”, concluded Cllr Enright