Calls to delay closure of recycling centre

There are calls to delay the closure of a tip as local councils face a major reorganisation.

Cheltenham Borough Council is shutting Swindon Road household recycling centre on 10 January.

It is hoped Gloucestershire County Council will take over the site, but it is expected to be closed for more than a year even if they do. Under new government plans, the borough council could merge with the county council in the coming years.

And county councillor Tim Harman said it would be "crazy" to press ahead with the tip's closure in light of the changes.

However, borough council leaders said they were financially unable to keep the tip open while the reorganisation takes place.

The recycling centre costs £600,000 a year to run and it is believed Cheltenham is one of the few borough councils to operate such a service, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service reports.

A £1m upgrade is also required to keep the site open and in line with Environment Agency standards.

Under the government's plans, district councils in Gloucestershire will be abolished, and one powerful council will instead run all the county's services.

Mr Harman said the unitary council would fuse the responsibilities of collection and disposal of waste.

"Surely a better decision on waste facilities should be taken by the successor authority having a better overview of the whole issue," he said.

A borough council spokesperson said the council cannot keep the tip open unless "a decision is made" on carrying out the £1m upgrade work.

They added the council is committed to boosting recycling and plan to introduce soft plastics kerbside collections across the town.

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