12:00pm Thursday 11th March 2010
By Nazia Parveen
COMMUNITY leaders have reacted angrily over plans to close three waste recycling centres as part of cost-cutting measures by Lancashire County Council.
Following a four-year consultation the council is once again reviewing its waste collection services with sites at Langho, Longridge and Park Road, Padiham, under threat of closure.
The sites could be closed down as early as next year to help plug a £12.5million hole in the council’s budget.
Bosses at Ribble Valley Borough Council have strongly objected to the proposals stating that the sites were used by thousands of people every year.
The Langho (Petre) HWRC, in Whalley Road, which has been open for 29 years, serves around 16,000 people, and processes around 4,200 tonnes of waste each year.
Councillor Robert Thompson, chairman of the Community Services Committee, said the council had been inundated with calls from residents concerned about the withdrawal of a popular and well used facility.
He said: “We are very concerned about the implications of the closure as it will effects many residents in a number of area’s including Langho, Wilpshire, Read and Simonstone.
“We will be writing a strong letter objecting to the closure in a bid to get the county council to reconsider.”
A report to the Community Committee stated that the closure of the sites could lead to a dramatic increase in flytipping.
It said: “The effect of this will be felt by the street cleansing team whose resposibility is to investigate and deal with flytipping and any increase will impact on their primary duties to keep the streets of the Ribble Valley clean.”
Lancashire County Council has stated that because of the additional kerbside recycling collections there was less need for people to rely on Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRCs).
Marcus Hudson, head of waste and minerals policy at Lancashire County Council, said: “A task group of members is now looking at the various options and will make a recommendation to the council, which will make the final decision.
"Any changes to the service that come out of these recommendations will not take place before April 2011.”
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