Whitland recycling centre closure plan dropped by council

Protesters gathered outside a meeting of council leaders on Monday

Plans to close a household waste recycling centre in Carmarthenshire have been dropped, council bosses have confirmed.

They had said the closure of the facility at Whitland would save £80,000 annually.

But residents warned it could result in more fly-tipping, with the next nearest recycling centre 17 miles (27km) away at Nantycaws.

The county council is looking to save £16m over the next three years.

A group of protesters gathered outside County Hall in Carmarthen on Monday as council leaders met to consider the issue.

One campaigner, Jean Myers, said people were "proud" of the Whitland site, claiming it was a "no-brainer" to keep it open.

The proposal to close Whitland Recycling Centre "sparked an overwhelming response", the council said

"The whole area is very supportive of us," she told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

"Farmers are worried about extra fly-tipping, and it would reduce the number of people coming to Whitland and its shops and cafes."

As the closure plan was shelved, Councillor Hazel Evans, executive board member for environment, said the proposal "never sat comfortably with me".

While agreeing not to close the site, council leaders will consider changing its hours of operation - which Ms Myers said campaigners would also oppose.