By Carmelo Garcia – Local Democracy Reporter
Talks are underway over the possible reopening of Cheltenham’s Swindon Road tip – but a review of the site will take “some time”.
Liberal Democrat-run Cheltenham Borough Council closed the household recycling centre temporarily on January 10. 2025 and hoped that Gloucestershire County Council (GCC) would buy it.
Borough chiefs said at the time that around £1m of investment is needed to bring the tip inline with new environmental regulations.
The then Conservative leaders at Shire Hall rejected that proposal and said there is enough capacity at nearby recycling sites such as Wingmoor Farm in Bishop’s Cleeve.
But Councillor Martin Horwood (LD, Leckhampton and Warden Hill), the County Council’s new nature, climate and waste reduction cabinet member, told yesterday’s (July 16) full meeting that talks are underway over the future of the site.
He made the comments in response to a question from former County and Borough Councillor Tim Harman.
The Conservative asked in writing if Cllr Horwood had held discussions with the Borough Council to secure the tip’s reopening.
The spa town’s former Lib Dem MP confirmed meetings between cabinet members and officers of both authorities to discuss the Borough Council’s plans for the Swindon Road site,
Mr Harman said everybody in Cheltenham would like to see the tip reopened. “It is missed,” he said before asking a follow-up question.
“Could he say how long the review being undertaken in Cheltenham will be? Could he encourage his colleagues in Cheltenham to ensure the actual land there remains intact so it could be reopened, if that is the recommendation at the end of the process.”
Cllr Horwood, who also sits on the Borough Council and is deputy mayor of Cheltenham, said the review was “complex” and would take some time.
But he said the authority wants to get the best outcome for the taxpayer and the environment.
“The review that you have asked about is going to take some time,” he said.
“I have asked officers to scope this and we have not yet got a timeline for that.
“But he makes a really important point that we shouldn’t, on either side, take decisions which pre-empt any other future use.
“That point has been made in the discussions that we have already started to initiate with Cheltenham Borough Council.”
He said there was a new spirit of cooperation as a result of local government reorganisation. And similar issues affecting Swindon Road are also affecting GCC sites across the county, he said.
“There are big financial challenges for this council as well.
“There are also cross border issues in the north and south of the county where people are finding it difficult to access the closest household recycling centres just because they happen to be in another council’s jurisdiction.”