'I have real concerns' – Tory MPs call for Conservative council to drop recycling centre threat
South Shropshire Conservatives are calling on party colleagues in Shirehall to lift the threat to the county's recycling centres.
Shropshire Council's Tory administration is currently proposing a number of changes to the way it handles recycling and waste collections as it grapples with a £62m savings plan.
The authority wants to bring in a £52 a year charge for collecting green bins, and has also threatened to close two of its five household recycling centres.
It currently has centres in Shrewsbury, Bridgnorth, Craven Arms, Whitchurch and Oswestry.
The consultation on green waste charges is also asking the public if they would be prepared to pay more than the £52 proposed – if it kept all the centres open.
But, Ludlow's Conservative MP, Philip Dunne, and Stuart Anderson – the current Wolverhampton South MP, who hopes to replace Mr Dunne at the next general election – which will see Ludlow replaced with the 'South Shropshire' constituency, are both calling on Shropshire Council to abandon its threat to the recycling centres.
Both politicians said that with few local sites to dispose of larger items of household recycling there is concern that closure might lead to an increase in fly-tipping.
Mr Dunne said: “I have real concerns about proposals to close household recycling centres in Shropshire.
"With only two sites in South Shropshire, any material reduction in service provision could lead to the horrible blight of fly-tipping and great cost and inconvenience to law-abiding local residents who want to do the right thing by taking their bulky or difficult to dispose of household items for recycling or safe disposal.
"Residents want to do their bit for the environment and dispose of household waste properly, but they need the right facilities to do so."
Mr Anderson said: “There is a real possibility that closing this recycling centre could have disastrous consequences for the local environment.
"Forcing locals to take a 50 mile round trip to get rid of waste could lead to an outbreak in fly-tipping across our beautiful county.
"One of my key priorities is to protect the countryside so I am totally opposed to any plans to close these recycling centres.”
Mr Dunne is asking local residents to complete his survey on the issue at https://constituencysurvey.uk/recyclingcentres, and has also urged local residents to take part in Shropshire Council's consultation which closes on May 20 and is accessible at https://www.shropshire.gov.uk/get-involved/garden-waste-and-household-recycling-centres-consultation/.
