Switch from two recycling centres to one explained

When Wiltshire Council announced it would close two household recycling centres (HRCs) and open one owned by the local authority instead, some residents were not happy.

Before the proposed location for the new site was released, a number of issues were raised by campaigners in packed public meetings.

The council has now shared where it wants to build the new HRC, allaying some - but not all - concerns. The local authority has stressed the proposal is in its early stages and said feedback would be considered during the planning process.

Here is everything you need to know about the current debate and how we got here.

The sites which are set to close are at Lower Compton, near Calne, and Purton, near Royal Wootton Bassett. They are owned by company Hills Waste and are the only HRCs in Wiltshire not owned by the council.

Late last year, the council said it would be closing the sites as the contracts for keeping them open were too expensive.

Wiltshire Council said it would instead construct a single HRC which it would own.

Council leader Ian Thorn said: "At some point, whether it's politically sensible or not, we have to say no", explaining financial stability was a "priority".

Many people wanted the current sites to stay open and there was concern the HRCs would close before a new one was opened.

The council decided to keep the two sites open for a year with the ability to extend the arrangement to give it time to build the new HRC, but it would not keep them open long-term.

There were also concerns about where the new recycling centre would be built.

There was particular unease over the possibility it could go on the site of an old council depot in Royal Wootton Bassett, where the community hoped a visitor gateway could be installed for a neighbouring country park.

Thorn reassured residents by saying: "What I'm personally very keen to do is to ensure that any HRC doesn't undermine those community ambitions."

The council took suggestions for where the new HRC should be built and said it assessed 21 locations. It decided it wanted it to be close to the old depot, but not on the same site.

The local authority proposed a site along Marlborough Road in Royal Wootton Bassett, further along from the old depot.

Wiltshire Council owns the land and said it was the only suitable site. It explained it was big enough and had "good access and was well-located to serve residents in place of the Lower Compton and Purton HRCs".

Some people are concerned about how the road network in the area would cope. Marlborough Road has two lanes but it is a country road which is narrower in places, especially as it passes over a railway bridge.

Allison Bucknell, a Royal Wootton Bassett resident and councillor for nearby Lyneham, said this raised concerns about how waste would be removed from the site once containers were full.

"I also feel sorry for anybody minded to buy a new house on the new housing development right opposite," she added.

The council said the proposed site would need to go through the planning process, which would look into concerns about the road network.

"The planning application will be tested in a myriad of ways and will either be tested to destruction or be tested in a way that sees it coming through and being consented," Thorn added.

He also said the application would allow residents to be consulted further about the plans.

The council said the proposal would now move to the detailed feasibility stage.

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