Tip considered for closure amid council cuts

A household waste recycling centre is facing closure as councillors seek ways to cut spending.

Derbyshire County Council has said it is looking to close Glossop Household Waste Recycling Centre as part of a wider set of budget cuts which aim to reduce a £40m hole in the authority's finances.

The only other waste centre in the High Peak area is in Buxton, which is approximately a 35-minute drive from Glossop.

The council says the facility needs £500,000 investment to bring it up to standard and ensure it complies with safety regulations - and seven out of the ten people who use it live outside the county and are not local council tax payers.

Derbyshire's cabinet member for the environment Carol Wood said: "We're scrutinising all of our services to ensure they give value for money and are delivering for our residents, as well as making sure there's no wasteful spending on any projects or schemes, so that we can ensure the council is financially sound.

"With considerable investment needed at Glossop Household Waste Recycling Centre to make it fit for the future, coupled with the fact that it's the least used of all of our recycling centres and is being used predominantly by people who do not live in Derbyshire and so do not pay their council tax here, it's important that we look at all the options."

Derbyshire Labour's deputy leader and Glossop South councillor Damien Greenhalgh urged leaders to rethink the plans.

"Closing the Glossop Household Waste Recycling Centre is ridiculous. It is used regularly by so many local residents, so it would be a massive blow," he said.

"Asking people to drive on a 30-mile plus round trip, well over an hour, just to recycle or dispose of household waste is completely unrealistic and risks undermining recycling rates altogether."

A public consultation will be required before any final decision is made.

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