Leicestershire tips service slashed - and everyone's saying the same thing
Sweeping changes to Leicestershire's tips are coming later this month - and everyone in the Leicestershire Live comments section is fearful of the same thing. Leicestershire County Council announced the moves back in May, in a bid to cut into an £85 million budget gap.
The Somerby Household Waste and Recycling site, near Melton, will shut its gates to residents for the final time on Monday, September 30. Sites at Market Harborough and Shepshed were being also being considered for closure, but opposition from the public has saved them.
Instead, the two sites will operate a reduced timetable, with the Market Harborough site open three days a week, and Shepshed for two days a week. The tip at Kibworth will change too, dropping to four days a week.
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Reader Jimmy The Fox writes: "Save money on tip closures... waste double the amount on fly tipping. Brilliant logic, someone needs a pay rise."
Commenter Getitiright says: "It is rural, so plenty of lanes and hedgerows for the fly tipping. And it is far away from county hall so the councillors will not even notice!"
Oldgold1 doesn't have much faith in the county's flytipping prevention: "After much pestering and 2 years of regular fly tipping, we got a camera put in the hedge which recorded several more tips. This was after the wonderfully useless A4 signs on sign posts did naff all. The camera has now gone but I've not seen anything about anyone being prosecuted for about 25 separate tips. They are sure to start again."
Hb789 also expressed concern for the local environment, warning: "More trashing of the local environment will be the result. Flytiipping and all year round bonfires." Dean Hawkins agrees in a comment on our Facebook page: "This will result in more fly tipping . result is surely more cost to the council to clean up the fly tipping. Net result surely Increased costs".
Councillor Blake Pain, cabinet member for the environment and green agenda, said: “The new arrangements for the operation of our recycling and household waste sites balance the needs of our residents alongside our need to save money. The £300,000 per year savings that we can make in this area will help to reduce our budget gap.
“We held two public consultations and listened to what people in the county who use these sites had to say. The feedback we received from the public was vital in revising and shaping our final proposals and I’m grateful for everyone’s input.
“Regretfully, we do recognise that the loss of Somerby will have an impact on people who use the site, but Melton Mowbray is an alternative site a relatively short drive away and will be open five days a week.”
More information on changes to county tips can be found here.
Have your say! How often do you use county tips? Will this embolden local flytippers? Comment below, and join in on the conversation.