Ludlow waste site may close to save money
A domestic rubbish tip in Ludlow could be closed as part of cost-cutting measures.
One councillor branded the possibility of closing the site "a major disaster" for the town which could lead to a huge rise in fly-tipping.
Shropshire Council chiefs are now set to meet next month to discuss the future of the site at Ludlow Business Park.
Officials are remaining tight-lipped about plans for the tip but the Shropshire Star understands one option would be to close it, leaving residents with a nine-mile journey to the nearest site at Craven Arms. Another option understood to be on the table is to hive the Ludlow site off to another organisation.
Review
A Shropshire Council spokesman said: "Shropshire Council is currently carrying out a review of the Coder Road amenity skip and recycling centre in Ludlow and the findings of this review are due to be considered by the council's cabinet at its meeting on July 24."
The site is owned by Shropshire Council but managed by environmental company Veolia.
Household waste such as glass bottles and jars, paper, cans, scrap metal, electrical items and textiles can be dumped there but the council admits the Ludlow tip is limited.
Large items have to be taken to Craven Arms Household Recycling Centre which is a full council operation.
Viv Parry, councillor for Ludlow South where the tip is sited, said: "I have been asking whether or not the tip is to close and although I have not heard back officially, I have had others say to me they think it is going to happen. That will be a major disaster for the town.
"How many people will trail all the way over to Craven Arms to use the tip there?
"Many people will just dump their rubbish so we will have fly-tipping all over the place."
Councillor Parry added: "If the council thinks closing the tip will save money it is wrong.
"It will instead have to pay to clean up all the fly-tipping and that could be a lot."
Ludlow North councillor Roseanna Taylor-Smith, who, as a district councillor fought to get the tip open on Saturdays, said: "I shall work as hard as I can to ensure Ludlow keeps some sort of household amenity site.
"Obviously, it is used by people over a wide area outside Ludlow and is a valuable resource."
"We have difficult decisions to make."
The tip is open from noon to 8pm Tuesday to Friday and from 8am to 1pm on Saturdays.
The site is closed on Sundays and Mondays.
