THE borough council has received a call to action after parish leaders voiced concerns about the way a recycling centre has turned into a dumping ground.

Councillors at Old Basing and Lychpit Parish Council spoke out about the rubbish piled high near the recycling bins at Tesco car park, in Great Binfields Road, Chineham.

They called for Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council to empty the bins more frequently and to inspect the site to ensure it is tidy.

Cllr Keith Nuttall said: "When Wade Road was being reorganised, people were encouraged to take their rubbish there but now we have got up to 15 bins.

"People are dumping everyday rubbish waste and we need to make a strong protest to the borough council that those bins are reduced to a number of four so that general waste bins are removed. The bins are beginning to obstruct the facility and I think it's time to stop this."

However, Cllr Doug Clark did not think that fewer bins was the answer.

He said: "It's in a terrible mess but I am not sure I agree with Keith. Reducing the bins will make no difference. I think the bins should be emptied far more frequently."

Chairman Cllr Sven Godesen promised to contact the borough council and ask for the bins to be emptied more frequently.

After the meeting, he said: "The problem has been there for a long time. It's partially because some of those bins do need emptying by the borough more frequently and partly because people are just too slovenly."

He explained that residents bring cardboard for recycling but when they cannot fit it in the newspaper bin, they dump it on the ground.

A borough council spokeswoman told The Gazette that the streetcare team has already identified the recycling site as being in need of attention.

She said: "The team has replaced two of the bins and will refurbish the remainder of the site in the spring.

"The area cleansing team visits the centre twice weekly to remove fly-tipped waste and the council will always respond to reports of any problems."