A TIP will close for good for next month, despite a backlash from residents and councillors in parts of Kirklees that border Bradford.
Kirklees Council has set out the timeline for when the unpopular decision will come into force, with Birstall’s Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) at Nab Lane to permanently shut from 4pm on Sunday, November 10.
From the same date, two Huddersfield HWRCs will be affected. Bromley Farm in Upper Cumberworth, near Denby Dale, will be closed on Wednesdays and Thursdays, while Meltham’s Bent Ley Road site will be closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
These changes were approved at October’s cabinet meeting as one of many cost-saving measures being implemented across the council but have not gone down well with elected members and the local community.
When the decision was announced, petitions were launched racking up thousands of signatures and councillors spoke out against the plans. The issue was successfully called in by the local Tories for scrutiny but this didn’t change the outcome.
A spokesperson for Kirklees Council said: “These changes to our Household Waste and Recycling Centres have allowed us to save nearly £200k over the next two financial years while maintaining the peak opening times across the remaining sites.
“We have had to make difficult decisions in the current financial climate but this proposal still leaves Birstall and Birkenshaw residents with the industry-recommended journey time to their nearest HWRC.
"The closure of Nab Lane will also put Kirklees at a level of service comparable to that of Leeds, Bradford, and Wakefield when comparing density of provision.”
Prior to the closure and reduced days of opening, the public are being reminded that winter opening hours for all Kirklees HWRCs will be coming into effect. This will commence on Sunday, October 27, when the clocks change, with all sites open 8am-4pm daily.
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