Bid to halt cut in hours at Cheltenham tip rejected

The centre has seen its opening hours slashed

A bid to reverse a cut in opening hours at a tip has been rejected.

Cheltenham Borough Council chiefs decided in December to reduce the opening hours of the Swindon Road depot to bring down running costs.

The substantial reduction in hours came into effect this month and has sparked a backlash from some residents.

The Conservatives proposed reversing the decision - but this was rejected by the Liberal Democrat administration.

The Tories estimated the council could make a saving of around £35,500 a year by reducing its number of cabinet members by two.

Cheltenham has a total of nine cabinet positions, while other authorities in the county - such as Gloucester - operate with six.

The money which would be saved by reducing the posts could pay for reinstatement of the previous opening hours at the tip, estimated to cost around £35,000.

Conservative group leader Tim Harman said the reduction in opening hours was unnecessary, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

"It's a very busy centre and we wanted to find a way we could save some money, to stand up and say we think recycling is important. It's a very valued service," he said.

Waste, recycling and street services cabinet member Iain Dobie said the council did not take the decision lightly and recognised the importance of the household recycling centre.

"Since the Covid pandemic, new patterns of usage have emerged. We also need to look at opening times to minimise energy use," he said.

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