Plan to close Acton tip is branded ‘bonkers’ by campaigners

CAMPAIGNS have been launched to try to save Acton reuse and recycling centre, which is facing closure under budget cut plans.

Conservative and Liberal Democrat groups at Ealing Council say closing the Stirling Road dump is “bonkers” and will make it harder for residents to recycle, despite the council’s commitment to tackle the climate emergency.

The budget and Medium Term Financial Strategy for 2021/22 to 2024/25 which hosts the options was approved by cabinet members on February 9, but is yet to be given the final green light by full council on March 2.

Reviews of local neighbourhood recycling centres and household recycling and reuse sites are listed within the new savings proposals to be considered.

The document suggests the moves could mean net savings of £100,000 or £173,000 respectively. However, it is confirmed Greenford Reuse and Recycling Centre would be kept open for all residents in the borough as the remaining site.

In a petition from Ealing’s Liberal Democrat group, it said: “Why should residents have to drive all the way to either Greenford or Abbey Road in Brent to recycle or dispose of unwanted items? Journey times would extend – especially as the Low Traffic Neighbourhoods have increased congestion on many roads – and climate emissions would increase.

“Also Greenford will not have the capacity to meet the additional demand so this will lead to great delays in booking a slot there or huge queues generating air pollution.”

Lib Dem councillor Jon Ball added: “This proposal is bonkers. There is a climate emergency. Making it harder for our residents to recycle and forcing them to drive from one end of the borough to the other to do so is crazy.”

Conservative group leader Greg Stafford also accused the council of not listening to residents, following the “surprise” announcement without any consultation. And he said with recycling rates in Ealing falling this was “the latest example of Labour’s rubbish thinking”.

In a report on the council’s performance for quarter two presented to cabinet members on February 2, it showed that the percentage of household waste sent for reuse, recycling and composting was 48.3 percent – a drop from 50 percent recorded at the same time last year.

The report explained since the first lockdown in March how household rubbish had “significantly increased” but that recycling has not been increasing at the same rate.

It added: “In September, there were 900 tonnes more residual waste generated by residents compared with September 2019 and only an increase of 300 tonnes sent for recycling. This has been the trend since March.This position is not unique to Ealing and is a London-wide issue.”

It also recognised the impact of the closure of household reuse and recycling centres for two months on garden waste disposal.

It said: “It is likely that a percentage of garden waste that would otherwise have been delivered to the household waste and recycling centres found its way into household waste bins. This would account for the loss of other recycling tonnage at the centres.”

Cllr Stafford also raised concerns over the newlyproposed ULEZ [ultra low emission zone] £12.50 daily charge, by the mayor of London Sadiq Khan, which cuts through the centre of Ealing.

He said it could mean residents travelling from Acton and Southfield to the Greenford recycling site may also have to pay this “extortionate charge” to get there. He added: “This closure will only lead to more fly-tipping which will cost the Council and ultimately taxpayers more than the initial saving amount. Yet another false economy on Labour’s part.”

Plans by Ealing’s cabinet to increase recycling rates in the borough include expanding the food waste project to 1,500 flats and to raise awareness of recycling contamination and other messaging campaigns.

An Ealing Council spokesperson said: “Ealing Council is currently considering a number of budget proposals involving the borough’s waste services. One proposal includes consolidating waste and recycling operations to one main site at the larger Greenford Reuse and Recycling Centre, bringing Ealing in line with other London boroughs. We have ensured that residents in the area will be able to use the recycling centre at Twyford Abbey Road.

“Funding from central government has fallen by 64 percent over the last 10 years. This means that, for every £1 the council used to receive it now gets just 36p.

“Despite these pressures, residents rightly want to see good public services and for Ealing to be a great place to live. That is why we have worked hard to ensure we can invest significantly over the coming year in recycling, highways, in providing genuinely affordable homes and supporting our most vulnerable residents.”