Village tip could close in new cost-cutting plans

Somerby household waste and recycling site, which is under threat of closure

Leicestershire County Council says closing sites at Market Harborough and Shepshed, as well as Somerby, and reducing summer opening hours at all of its sites, would save £420,000 at a time when the authority’s finances are very bleak.

Changes to the opening days at Melton Mowbray’s Lake Terrace tip from the current Thursday to Monday to a new schedule of Saturday to Wednesday are also mooted in the proposals to ensure every tip has sufficient resources as a result of the planned cuts and amendments.

The plans will go before members of County Hall’s cabinet next Tuesday, when councillors will be asked to launch a 12-week public consultation on the suggestions.

On the proposed closure of Somerby and the two other waste sites, Councillor Blake Pain, cabinet member for the environment and green agenda, confirmed that nine jobs would be at risk across the three tips if the decision was eventually taken to close them.

Councillor Pain said at a press briefing today (Tuesday): “We will work to support all members of staff affected by these proposals throughout what could be a stressful time.

"Where possible we will seek to redeploy these staff where there are vacancies at other sites because vital skills have been built up over a period of time and we wouldn’t want to lose those skills.

"That is if the cabinet decide to go ahead with the proposals – we would be going out to consultation first and no decision has yet been made.”

The council say those tips identified for potential closure have alternative sites within five to eight miles away – residents who currently visit the Somerby waste site would be directed to the Melton Mowbray one if theirs does close.

Both Somerby and Shepshed sites cost the authority significantly more per visit than more popular sites, and both account for just five per cent of all waste taken.

The council has also identified a 20 per cent drop in the number of visits residents make to Leicestershire tips since the Covid pandemic – latest figures show there were 1.2 million visits across the county in the 12 months up to July this year, compared to 1.5 million visits the year before.

In terms of what would happen to the three tips if they are closed, Councillor Pain commented: “We will seek to mothball the sites because it is the revenue saving that we are minded to achieve first and foremost.

“Thereafter if the sites are shut if they have any commercial or resale value that would need to identified as are dealing with waste sites here and there are lots of issues given the specific nature of them.”

As part of the cost-cutting proposals, the council wants to cut the opening hours of the Bottesford tip from five days a week to just three.

All sites across the county would close on Christmas Eve, when usage rates are usually much lower.

Melton tip visitors will have to get used to visiting it between Saturday and Wednesday, instead of Thursday to Monday, if the proposals are eventually approved.

If the consultation goes ahead it would start on November 1.