Calls to delay Cheltenham tip closure amid plans for local government shakeup

There are calls to delay the upcoming long-term closure of a much-loved tip in Cheltenham until after the reorganisation of local government in the county.

Cheltenham Borough Council agreed in November that the Swindon Road household recycling centre will undergo a prolonged closure from January 10 to consider the site’s long term future.

The Liberal Democrat leaders at the Municipal Offices say the depot faces a £1 million upgrade bill to keep it open. And this revamp is needed to meet new standards set by the Environment Agency.

But, with the recent publication of the English Devolution white paper, a unitary council for Gloucestershire could be created in the coming years which would mean district councils such as Cheltenham would be abolished.

Gloucestershire is currently a two-tier area where local government responsibilities are split between the County Council and the district councils of Cheltenham, Gloucester, Cotswolds, Forest of Dean, Stroud and Tewkesbury.

County Councillor Tim Harman (C, Lansdown and Park) says in light of these upcoming changes a decision to press ahead with the closure would seem crazy.

He is calling on the council to postpone such a decision for it to be taken by Cheltenham Borough Council’s successor authority.

“In the days leading up to Christmas the Government published its white paper on devolution which will bring changes to the structure of councils here in Gloucestershire,” Cllr Harman said.

“With this in mind surely it would make sense for Cheltenham Borough Council to delay its controversial decision to close the valued Swindon Road recycling facility given that a unitary council would fuse the responsibilities of collection and disposal of waste in the current two tier structure .

“A decision to press ahead with the closure by the Liberal Democrat controlled Borough Council would seem crazy in these circumstances.

“Surely a better decision on waste facilities should be taken by the successor authority having a better overview of the whole issue.”

However, Borough Council leaders say they cannot simply keep the household recycling centre open while government reorganisation takes place in the county as it could take a few years.

To do so, the council would need to undertake the £1m revamp at the site to comply with Environment Agency regulations while the review is underway.

A Cheltenham Borough Council spokesperson said: “In recent years, the amount of legislative and regulatory change relating to waste and recycling has been significant.

“In light of this, we must recognise that the recycling centre at Swindon Road needs major modernisation and investment, hence the decision to close it for a prolonged period, whilst we take the necessary time to consider options and liaise with partners, including the county council, about options for the site.

“Works to bring the site up to standard in line with new regulations are set to cost £1million and without a new permit, the Environment Agency will not allow the site to continue to operate.

“The recent white paper on local government reorganisation will of course be taken into account during the review, as well as our discussions with Gloucestershire County Council.

“However, whatever reorganisation and devolution deal that comes forward will not happen until a few years after the upcoming changes to Environment Agency regulations come into force, so therefore the need to do the approximately £1m works to the HRC remains.

“We cannot simply keep the HRC open in the meantime unless a decision is made to do the work during the review.

“We understand how valued waste and recycling services are to our residents. Cheltenham Borough Council is committed to introducing more ways to recycle overall.

“This includes our efforts to secure additional bring bank capacity, as well as introducing soft plastics and tetrapaks to kerbside collections across the town as soon as we can.”