By Carmelo Garcia – Local Democracy Reporter
There is huge frustration over tip closures in Cheltenham and Gloucester as “people are being forced to drive miles across the county” to dispose of household waste.
The household recycling centre in Hempsted, on the edge of the city, closed this week for works to improve the site and provide environmental upgrades and is not expected to reopen until the middle of November.
The nearest household recycling centre for Gloucester city centre residents is the one at Wingmoor Farm near Bishop’s Cleeve some 12 miles away.
Meanwhile, residents in Cheltenham have been without their own tip since January last year after borough council chiefs said they could not afford the estimated £1 million needed to upgrade the site.
The Swindon Road depot remains closed despite talks between Liberal Democrat leaders in Cheltenham and their county colleagues for Shire Hall to take on and reopen the site.
This means people from the city and spa town have to “fight over a handful” of booking slots at the four remaining “overloaded sites” elsewhere in the county.
Residents were also given 24 hours’ notice last week that fridges and freezers would no longer being accepted at household recycling centres, adding to the frustration.
Reform UK group leader Vernon Smith (Tewkesbury West) said: “First they shut the Swindon Road site in Cheltenham with vague promises of reopening that turned into dust, and now Hempsted in Gloucester is closed for months.
“On top of that, new government regulations banning residents from easily dumping old fridges and freezers mean people are effectively being told to store decaying white goods in their back gardens or spare rooms.
“The Liberals are dismantling our local infrastructure piece by piece while piling on another ridiculous layer of red tape.
“People are being forced to drive miles across the county, burning expensive fuel, only to fight over a handful of impossible-to-book slots at the remaining overloaded sites.
“Getting rid of your household rubbish isn’t a complex environmental puzzle. It’s a fundamental service that residents pay their council tax for.”
Councillor Lisa Spivey (South Cerney), who leads the Lib Dem administration at Shire Hall, said it was disappointing but not surprising to see Reform criticising vital investment into services that residents rely on.
She said her party is committed to upgrading and improving facilities in the county and this is why the work is being undertaken at Hempsted.
“We understand that closing the household recycling centre (HRC) for three months will be inconvenient for residents and we would like to thank people for their patience and understanding while the work is carried out,” she said.
“Maintaining our household recycling centres is a key priority, and we have a rolling investment programme in place to ensure our sites remain safe, efficient and fit for the future.”
She explained that the three-month closure is needed due to the scale and complexity of the project.
“During this time, residents can continue to use Pyke Quarry HRC and Wingmoor Farm HRC as alternative sites, with Pyke Quarry extending its opening from six to seven days a week to help accommodate additional visitors.
“The booking system continues to play an important role in helping us manage demand, minimise queues and reduce delays for residents.
“It also enables us to keep people informed when issues beyond our control affect services, such as the current national challenges with fridge and freezer reprocessing.
“For Reform to suggest that this is anything other than a commitment to investing in Gloucestershire’s facilities and making processes slicker is complete rubbish.
“Liberal Democrats were overwhelmingly elected to deliver change and make improvements and that is what we are doing every day.”
Gloucestershire County Council says the disruption to fridge collections and recycling is a national problem due to issues with reprocessing plants.
“The council of course understands the inconvenience of this,” a spokesperson said.
“As soon as there is a reliable return to collection operations, the HRCs will again become available for accepting fridges again and this will be broadcast to Gloucestershire residents by the council.”