News that the Household Recycling Centre in Purton will be closing down with no alternative provision has been greeted with "shock and dismay" by parish councillors in Cricklade.
The matter was discussed by the council's planning, conservation & transport committee on Monday evening (December 15).
The meeting heard that residents would face a long drive to use their nearest recycling centre. Marlborough is 20 miles and 30 minutes away, while Stanton St Quintin, between Malmesbury and Chippenham, is 18 miles or 18 minutes away.
They discussed the "great deal of concern raised by residents about the potential loss of this valuable facility."
Councillors "expressed their shock at the decision and dismay at the impact it would have on residents within Cricklade and the surrounding areas," according to a statement issued by the council.
"The lack of adequate alternative arrangements was difficult to understand, particularly given that there had been no prior warning of this imminent change from Wiltshire Council," said the parish council.
Councillors agreed to take "active and positive steps to present a coherent and compelling case to Wiltshire Council about the imperative of providing an accessible facility within the local community area."
The committee agreed to work with neighbouring councils, particularly Purton and Royal Wootton Bassett, to find a solution.
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The committee also resolved to:
• Write to Wiltshire Council leader Ian Thorn setting out the council's concerns regarding the hasty decision, the lack of consultation, the inadequacy of proposed interim arrangements, and requesting an early meeting
• Write to Hills Waste to request an early meeting of the Hills Waste Liaison Committee, on which Cricklade Town Council and Purton Parish Council have representation, to better understand the situation
• Request information from Wiltshire Council about how they will use the savings from site closures to support the communities impacted by their decision
• Ascertain what discussions there have been with nearby local authorities (such as Swindon Borough Council and Gloucestershire County Council) about putting in place short to medium term alternative arrangements for waste recycling within the area.
The future of recycling centres in north Wiltshire has been causing headaches for Wiltshire Council's Liberal Democrat-led Cabinet - as well as worry for communities in the north of the county - since they debated the matter on Tuesday (December 9).
There are 10 recycling centres in the county, and the council owns all but two, which are owned by Swindon-headquartered Hills Waste Services.
The cabinet meeting heard that the private operator is asking for an "unjustifiable" amount of money for the continued use of the sites after the current contract expires in July 2026.
The Cabinet - which was considering negotiating an extension whilst it consulted the public brough a new site into operation - instead voted to walk away from August 1.
A new site for the north on land owned by he council was promised - but it is unlikely to be operational before the end of 2028.
Two Liberal Democrat MPs - Roz Savage (South Cotswolds) and Sarah Gibson (whose Chippenham constituency includes Royal Wootton Bassett) have expressed the concerns over the decision.
And Liberal Democrat councillors in the north of the county are known to be concerned by their top team's proposals, while opposition councillors from the Conservative and Reform UK groups have been openly critical.
Meanwhile, a petition to save the facility until a replacement can be found is heading towards 4,000 signatures. It can be found at https://www.change.org/p/revoke-the-closure-of-purton-recycling-centre?source_location=search
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