CAMPAIGNERS are urging residents to complete an online questionnaire in objection to plans to close Everleigh recycling centre after Wiltshire Council said shutting it would save £143,000 a year.

Since Wiltshire Council closed part of the centre in March and released figures saying it is the least-used recycling centre in the county, Pewsey Parish Council, the Campaign to Protect Rural England Wiltshire branch and the Community Area Partnership group have teamed up in a bid to save the centre.

Despite having the lowest footfall, Everleigh users recycle the biggest amount of items per person. Per visit the average person drops off 35 per cent more recycling than those in Trowbridge, the busiest centre in the county.

Pewsey resident Mike James said: “Recycling is key to this planet’s future, as is reduction of everyone’s carbon footprint.

“Residents south of Pewsey will doubtless struggle to use Hampshire alternatives, and you are potentially damaging the environment by encouraging more car journeys to either Marlborough or Devizes.”

Curly Haskell, chairman of Pewsey Parish Council, said: “The Government and Wiltshire Council encourage reduce, repair, reuse and recycling to preserve resources and reduce carbon emissions.

“Closing Everleigh appears to conflict with the aims for the council’s Waste Strategy.

“If the site is restored to being fully operational it would be for the benefit of all, but especially those who would encounter significant hardship for health, financial or other reasons if required to travel to an alternative site.”

Bridget Wayman, cabinet member for waste, said: “Wiltshire has a network of household recycling centres offering reasonable access to residents across the county and we are very proud that we are still in a position to offer this network.

“We do monitor how cost-effective the sites are, particularly given the other pressing demands on the council’s budget.

“Everleigh is the least used site and taking into consideration the investment that the site needs to meet requirements, we are proposing that this site closes. We have set out the options for residents to consider and to comment on. Once we have collated and considered the feedback from the consultation, we will make a decision on the way forward for this site.”

The questionnaire is online at http://wiltshire.objective.co.uk/portal/waste_and_recycling. Responses need to be submitted by September 3.