MP opposes closure of recycling centres

Cheshire East Council is currently carrying out a Household Waste Review part of which is the closure of Bollington and Poynton recycling centres.

Having been contacted by both Bollington and Poynton Town Councils – and many local residents, Macclesfield MP, David Rutley, has written to Cheshire East Council in support of the submissions to keep both Bollington and Poynton recycling centres open.

He contends that recycling centres are used regularly, not just by residents in Bollington and Poynton, but by many residents in neighbouring communities, including Adlington, Disley, Prestbury, Rainow, Pott Shrigley, Tytherington and Hurdsfield.  

David has highlighted how, as we seek to tackle climate change, it’s vital to encourage and enable as many people as possible to recycle whenever possible. He argues that if Bollington or Poynton recycling centres were to close, there would be a significant increase in journeys to other recycling centres involving longer journey times and increased air pollution. In addition, there is a potential increase in the risk of illegal fly-tipping – particularly in nearby rural areas; more items may be placed in non-recyclable black bins; and there will be a risk of garden or household waste being burned – with the associated impact on air quality. 

These impacts do not fit with the wider aims of Cheshire East Council’s own Environmental Strategy and it would appear that a full environmental impact assessment has not been made of each of the options that have been set out in the review.

In Bollington, there are further concerns about the impact on traffic, if Poynton’s recycling centre was closed. This would result in more people travelling to Bollington recycling centre and would add to concerns of residents who live on Albert Road and Moss Brow who are already worried about the impacts of current traffic volumes. 

After forwarding his submissions to Cheshire East Council, David said, “I am giving my strong support to calls to keep both the Bollington and Poynton recycling centres open. I am urging Cheshire East Council to reject proposals in its review that would lead to closing either centre, as these options would not only inconvenience many local residence who actively use these recycling centres, but also lead to longer journey times, increased air pollution, increased fly tipping and a reduction in recycling. I hope that the Council will listen to these concerns, and those raised by many local residents and local councils, and keep the recycling centres open.”