CALNE Town Councillors have stepped up criticism of Wiltshire Council’s decision to close the Lower Compton Household Recycling Centre, warning that the move risks leaving residents further disadvantaged unless a clear replacement is secured.
The decision, agreed by Wiltshire Council’s Cabinet on 9th December, will see the Lower Compton and Purton recycling centres close when their contracts end on 1st August 2026. Both sites are owned by Hills Waste Solutions, with the council citing sharply rising costs as the reason it cannot continue operating them.
While the council has committed to delivering a new, council-owned recycling centre in the north of Wiltshire by late 2028, residents face a gap of more than two years during which they would need to travel to Devizes, Marlborough or Stanton St Quintin.
Calne Labour Party has described the decision as “shocking”, arguing it undermines recycling efforts and places an unfair burden on residents.
Calne Labour town councillor Celia Stevens said: “Residents of the Calne area already feel disadvantaged with a lack of health service provision and not getting a fair share of investment from Wiltshire into the town. This is just another example.”
The party also highlighted Wiltshire Council’s current recycling performance, stating that just 44 per cent of household waste is recycled, with 15.4 per cent sent to landfill. Labour argues that closing two well-used recycling centres will make it harder for residents in Calne and Royal Wootton Bassett to recycle responsibly.
In a statement, Calne Labour called on the Liberal Democrat-led administration to reverse the decision and reopen negotiations with Hills Waste Solutions, describing the closures as “a massive backward step”.
Further concerns were raised by John Boaler, chairman of the Calne branch of the Labour Party, who said residents needed firm guarantees before any closure takes place.
He said: “Before the Lower Compton site closes, Calne residents need to know that a replacement site has been acquired and that this site is near to Calne. Until then, there should be no final decision on closing Lower Compton.”
Mr Boaler also warned against relying on future promises, citing a previous Liberal Democrat-led council in London that closed Richmond Ice Rink on the assurance a replacement would be found - something he added, never happened.
Wiltshire MP Sarah Gibson has now written an open letter to Wiltshire Council Leader Cllr Ian Thorn and Cabinet Member for Environment, Climate and Waste, Cllr Paul Sample, expressing serious concerns about the planned closures.
She warned that shutting the centres without clear alternatives would lead to longer travel distances, an increased risk of fly-tipping, and reduced recycling participation - outcomes she said run counter to Wiltshire’s environmental and waste-reduction goals.
There are also concerns about reports that the derelict council depot site in Royal Wootton Bassett could be used to replace the Purton site. Ms Gibson highlighted that the land is central to a community-led vision for a Coronation Country Park and Gateway Centre, including canal restoration, visitor facilities and green space.
After sending the letter, Ms Gibson said: “Closing these recycling centres without clear alternatives is a serious mistake. It will force residents to travel unreasonable distances just to dispose of waste responsibly.
“This is not just inconvenient; it risks increasing fly-tipping, adding costs for the council, and undermining Wiltshire’s own environmental commitments.”
She called on Wiltshire Council to provide clarity on replacement sites, publish a timeline for interim measures and engage in “meaningful consultation” with affected communities.
Cllr Bobby Seymour said: This decision has been taken by Wiltshire Council without any consultation with Calne residents and attempts by my Conservative colleagues to review this decision have been blocked by the Liberal Democrats. I have not spoken to one single resident so far who is in favour of this decision which did not feature in the Lib Dem manifesto in May.
"I am deeply concerned that this will increase cases of fly-tipping, which are not only unsightly, but incredibly expensive to clean up and I do not believe there will be a new site up and running within two years.
"I challenged Cllr Ian Thorn at Calne Town Council over this issue and found his response unsatisfactory. They've just voted themselves a payrise and now they want to cut services. I hope residents who are concerned will get in touch with me so I can put their veiws to Cllr Thorn and his colleages and we can try to stop this decision,"
Meanwhile, Chair of Audit and Governance Committee and Reform Councillor for Calne North, Mike Sankey has written directly to Wiltshire Council leader and Calne Town Mayor Ian Thorn, urging officers to explore whether an alternative site could be located within the town.
In his letter, Cllr Sankey asked whether the feasibility of using land at Beversbrook in Calne could be investigated, suggesting the existing parking area near the entrance could offer a potential location. He noted the site is owned by Wiltshire Council and has good road access, although additional parking may be required.
Wiltshire Council has previously said it cannot allow itself to be “held over a barrel” by a private contractor and insists the closure is unavoidable due to cost pressures. It maintains that plans for a new recycling centre are being accelerated, though no confirmed site or timetable has yet been published.
This week, a local survey has been launched to gather residents’ views on the proposed closures and their potential impact on access, travel and fly-tipping.
More than 600 people have already responded. One respondent said: "Surely it would be cheaper to keep lower Compton open than build a new one in Wooton Bassett. The Council needs to negotiate further with Hills over the cost. No-one in Calne wants this dump to close. Surely the residents’ opinions matter?"
Residents can still take part in the survey and share their views here.
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