MORE than 1,000 people have signed an online petition calling for the rubbish tip in Hartley Wintney to be saved, after the county council has earmarked it for closure. 

As previously reported, as many as 12 tips in Hampshire could close in a bid to save Hampshire County Council £1.6m per year.

The council has presented its proposal as part of the saving plan to meet the forecasted £132m budget shortfall by April 2025, with all departments asked to reduce costs and provide the legal minimum of services required by law.

READ MORE: Hampshire County Council looks to close tips to save £1.6m

As part of the proposals, the county council has detailed its plan, which includes the future closure of 12 household waste recycling centres (HWRCs) which would save up to £1.6m a year, including the site in Hartley Wintney.

It is among a group of other sites which the council says are the smallest sites with the poorest performing and most expensive to run.

Other sites include Alresford, Bishops Waltham, Fair Oak and Hayling Island. The closure of these five would save around £500,000 per year.

Due to operational challenges and investment requirements, closures could happen in the Aldershot, Bordon, Casbrook, Hedge End, Marchwood, Petersfield, and Somerley sites.

Since the news has been brought to light an online petition has been started by David Woodhead to save the tip from the threat of closure. It had more than 1,300 signatures at the time of writing. 

A statement on the petition's page reads: "This issue is personal to us because without these centres, we will certainly see an increase in improper disposal methods. This will result in more fly-tipping, littering, pollution and environmental harm.

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"It will significantly set back the progress that has been made towards environmentally responsible waste management. The direct financial gain from closure will be minimal and the costs of side effects such as policing and cleaning up fly tipping, expanding the remaining centres to cope with increased use and the environmental impact of more and longer car journeys will exceed any direct benefit generated."

It continued: "Please sign this petition urging Hampshire County Council not to close the Hartley Wintney or Aldershot recycling centres."

Hart District councillor for Hartley Wintney Cllr Spencer Farmer, together with the other Conservative district councillors representing the village, said he is "very much against" any future closure of the facility.

He said: "It is important for residents to have an accessible household waste recycling centre in Hart.

“We are concerned that if people do not have access to a local facility, it could lead to an increase in fly-tipping. We would of course be supportive of a new, more up-to-date, replacement facility located on a new site in Hart.”

Cllr Anne Crampton, who also represents Hartley Wintney, said she visited Basingstoke Household Waste Recycling Centre and raised concern that it "took considerably longer to get there".

A spokesperson for Hampshire County Council said the council is "keen to hear from as many people as possible" during the consultation stage which ends on Sunday, March 31.

They added: “With the pressure to find £132m of savings by April 2025, we cannot leave any stone unturned, as like many other local authorities nationally, our costs continue to rise from inflation and demand for vital local services in Hampshire is at an all-time high, especially in children’s social care, special educational needs and disabilities, and home to school transport.

"Therefore, we must make some very difficult decisions about the services we continue to provide in future so there’s enough money available to fund services we must legally deliver – like protecting children from harm, social care for Hampshire’s growing elderly population, and supporting adults and children with disabilities and additional needs."

To sign the petition visit change.org/p/urge-hampshire-county-council-to-keep-hartley-wintney-and-aldershot-recycling-centres-open.