Tip closures to take place over coming months

Bollington is one of three sites set to temporarily close

Three tips, which have been earmarked for closure as part of a council's cost saving plans, are set to shut over the next few months.

Cheshire East Council has signed off plans for the “emergency closure” of household waste recycling centres in Bollington, Middlewich and Poynton.

The authority said it was "working to ensure the transition is as smooth as possible” and proposed introducing a trial mobile household waste recycling service for the affected areas.

Thousands of people have signed a petition against the closures which has been submitted to the council.

Cheshire East Council, which has faced financial challenges in recent months, set a budget for this year which included £30m of savings.

This included keeping four main tips in Alsager, Crewe, Knutsford and Macclesfield open but closing the three other sites until a review into household waste recycling centres is completed later this year.

The council signed off the closure plans as part of its budget

In a statement, the authority said the closure of the sites was set to take place "over the next two to three months".

It said it was “working to ensure the transition is as smooth as possible” and it was putting mitigation measures in place.

These include later mid-week opening hours of the four remaining sites and introducing, on a trial basis, a mobile household waste recycling service in Bollington, Middlewich and Poynton.

The authority added it was also working with town councils to “explore opportunities” for waste services in their local areas.

Town and parish councils in the borough have already started funding services at some libraries, after there were cuts to opening hours.