Marlborough's long awaited household recycling centre has finally opened on the Salisbury Road Business Park and it’s already proved a big hit with families.

Business has been brisk at the £400,000 centre, which includes Wiltshire Council’s store of salt for icy roads. However, its arrival will mean the closure of the small recycling centre at the George Lane car park in about five weeks.

Marlborough’s two county councillors, Nick Fogg and Peggy Dow, lost a fight to keep it open as well for the benefit of townspeople without cars who could carry their recycling to the car park but will not be able to carry it as far as the business park.

Coun Dow said: “I did ask Wiltshire Council if the George Lane recycling centre could remain open as well but they said no way and it is going to close.”

Wiltshire Council’s Cabinet member for waste Toby Sturgis cut a ribbon to declare the HRC open on Wednesday last week but curiously the Mayor of Marlborough, Andrew Ross, who was present with other town councillors, was not invited to join in the ceremony.

Wiltshire and Marlborough councillors then christened the centre by placing recycling materials into the various receptacles that can take plastic, cardboard, paper, glass, cans, textiles, garden waste, timber, metals, electrical goods and household waste.

The site is being run by Hills Waste Solutions whose HQ is in Marlborough High Street.

Coun Sturgis said: “We have worked really hard to get an HRC in Marlborough and I am proud that we are now able to open one.”

From tomorrow the site switches to summer opening hours, which are 9am to 5pm daily except Wednesdays and Thursdays when it will open until 7pm. Winter hours, from November 1 to March 31, are 9am to 4pm daily.