THREE Bradford district tips have now closed.

Last month, Bradford Council announced it would be shutting three of its eight Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) from today (Easter Monday).

The sites are Ford Hill at Queensbury, Sugden End in Keighley, and Golden Butts in Ilkley.

Savings of £900k per year will be made 

"Like all councils across the country, Bradford Council faces unprecedented financial challenges over the next few years and has to reduce its size and how much it delivers.  The closures form part of these savings," said the council. 

"Ford Hill, Sugden End, and Golden Butts were chosen for closure, as they are the least used of all the HWRCs in the district. Closure of the sites will provide the council with a saving of £900,000 per year.

"According to research by sustainability and waste experts WRAP, Bradford district currently has an unusually high number of HWRCs, compared to other areas.

"It has the highest number of HWRCs per 100,000 population in the region."

The HWRCs will be decommissioned over a two-week period in which they will be emptied, with skips, containers, and machinery removed. Current security measures, such as CCTV and fencing will remain on each site.

'We're not happy having to make these cuts'

Councillor Sarah Ferriby, portfolio holder for healthy people and places, said: “We know many people are not happy with these closures. 

"We’re not happy ourselves having to make these cuts, but unfortunately, the council’s financial situation means we need to go ahead with the closures."

As well as closing the three HWRCs the council will be tightening up the process for residents to apply for permits to prevent abuse of the system across all the remaining HWRCs.

The sites are for Bradford district residents only. Non-residents, businesses, tradespeople, and charities have been gaining access to the sites.

A new system will place stricter controls on access to permits which will further reduce costs.