Waiting game as recycling centre could temporarily close

» HOUSEHOLDERS in a district will have to travel further if their nearest tip closes temporarily.

Fosse Cross Household Recycling Centre in Cirencester, was planned to shut for six weeks next month for improvements but Gloucestershire County Council said it is now “revisiting timescales”.

The authority said it needs to repair the drains and resurface the skip area, but it is not yet known when the works will take place.

Gloucestershire County Councillor Paul Hodgkinson (LD, Bourton-on-thewater and Northleach) said he was “incredibly frustrated” by the initial proposal to shut the HRC for six weeks, adding that there aren’t “enough slots fo residents in the south of Gloucestershire”.

The Liberal Democrat group leader said:”i was incredibly frustrated to hear that GCC was planning to close Fosse Cross recycling for another six weeks, having only recently spent months closed due to lockdown.

“Feedback from the public was negative, highlighting how there still weren’t enough slots for residents in the south of Gloucestershire, and then they would be faced with needing to travel halfway across the county to recycle their waste.”

Fosse Cross is one of five HRCS run by the county council, and the others are Hempsted (Gloucester), Oak Quarry (Coleford), Pyke Quarry (Horsley) and Wingmoor Farm (Bishop’s Cleeve).

A spokeswoman for Gloucestershire County Council said: “Fosse Cross household recycling centre needs work to repair drains and resurface the skip area.

“We had planned to do this work next month - but following feedback from the cabinet member and local councillors we are revisiting the timescales concerned.

“We will make a further announcement soon.”