Calne Town Mayor and Leader of Wiltshire Council, Ian Thorn, has announced a surprise u-turn on plans to close the household recycling centres at Lower Compton and Purton.
An extraordinary meeting of the Town Council took place this evening, to discuss two items, one of which was a motion of no confidence in the Town Mayor.
During the meeting Mr Thorn declared that the centres will now remain open, following weeks of opposition from residents, councillors and community groups.
Mr Thorn said that Hills Waste had returned with a revised proposal that changed the council’s position.
“I can tell you that Hills have come back with a proposal for both Purton and Lower Compton which is more efficient in terms of costs and much more flexible,” he told the meeting.
Mr Thorn said the agreement would avoid the council being tied into a long-term contract and confirmed that closures would not go ahead while longer-term plans are developed.
“The absolute commitment at this stage is that there will be no closure at either Lower Compton or Purton at least until we have the new facility open for Wiltshire residents,” he said.
The proposals to shut the sites had sparked widespread opposition, including a unanimous vote at Calne Town Council calling for the plans to be paused until a suitable local alternative was in place.
Mr Thorn survived a motion of no confidence by twelve votes to five.
Speaking after the meeting Cllr Bobby Seymour said: "I am pleased that Lower Compton Household Recycling Centre will now remain open, but this should not be seen as the end of the matter. Residents were previously told the decision was final and that there would be no public consultation because it was a ‘done deal’. That clearly was not the case. I am extremely proud of residents of Calne for standing up and making their voices heard. This U-turn shows the power of local people speaking out, and it is right that Lower Compton will now stay open.”
We will update this article with further quotes and information as it becomes available.
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