Closure of two recycling centres delayed

Controversial plans to close two recycling centres have been delayed after a backlash.

Wiltshire Council's leaders approved plans to shut recycling centres in Lower Compton and Purton due to contractors Hills Waste asking for an "unjustifiable" amount of money to renew the contract.

Council chiefs have now announced that Purton will have a three-year extension, while Lower Compton will be open for at least another year.

They also said the authority hoped to open a single new recycling centre for north Wiltshire, which the council will own. Hills said it welcomes the "reconsideration".

In December, Wiltshire councillors voted to close the two recycling centres due to the contractors asking for an "unjustifiable" amount of money to renew the contract.

At the time, council leader Ian Thorn said he did not want to close the Hills‑run centres but the costs involved were unsustainable.

A Hills spokesman previously said the contract fees were based on costs increasing significantly over recent years.

The decision sparked a large backlash, with councillors threatening to challenge the decision in the High Court. And a petition calling for the closure to be halted attracted thousands of signatures.

However, council leaders have now said they have been presented with a new plan by Hills, which they say is affordable until the authority can open its new site.

At a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, council chiefs said this would most likely be in the Royal Wootton Bassett area.

A consultation on the new site and a pilot booking scheme for Purton and Lower Compton will be launched to gather more data on how much they are used.

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