HAMPSHIRE County Council has warned it may introduce “nominal charges” at its household waste recycling centres amid concerns it could close “up to half” of its tips.

Last Monday, the council looked at steps to address an anticipated financial shortfall of £140m by April 2019.

The council’s cabinet agreed officers should ‘look again’ into ‘other ways’ of plugging the budget gap. While no formal decisions have been made, among the possibilities proposed is closing “up to half” of the county’s recycling centre

According to a recent agenda report, the saving would be ‘approximately £100,000 per site,’ meaning the council could clawback an estimated £1.2million in total. Last year, a number of cost-saving measures were rubber-stamped, including alterations to centre opening times and closure on Thursdays.

But the changes did not come to fruition across the board, with Bordon’s recycling centre – used by many people in East Hampshire – still open seven days a week.

The county council said it provides more recycling centres than comparable authorities and almost 85 per cent of the population is currently within five miles of a centre.

But the council added the closure of up to half of the household waste recycling centress network would result in longer travel distances for some users”.

Council leader Roy Perry said: “The extent of the financial challenge the council face is well-known.

“With our revenue support grant from Government soon coming to an end, together with rising inflation and significant increases in the numbers of elderly people, younger adults and children needing care – the pressures are mounting and we have some extremely hard decisions to make.

“I remain firmly of the view that our priority must continue to be supporting the growing numbers of vulnerable children and adults who rely on our care, and for whom we have a statutory responsibility – an approach residents have told us they also support.

“It is important to be aware that we are actually considering almost an £8million increase in the funding allocated to children’s care.

“Achieving a further £140m of savings, on top of the £340m of spending reductions we have had to make since our funding from central Government began to reduce in 2008, will be our biggest challenge to date.”

He added: “I understand and sympathise with the pressure the Government faces in preventing the national debt spiralling out of control but as a consequence, local Government faces huge impacts.

“Of the £140m we have to save, only approximately £40m comes from reduced grant, while £50m is down to inflation, and a further £50m comes from demo- graphic pressure – from higher numbers of adults needing care, not just the elderly and more children in care.

“We continue to put Hampshire’s case to Government – communicating with Ministers and MPs to encourage them to take a fresh look at the ideas we have for easing some of these problems, through options such the introduction of nominal charges at our household waste recycling centres, for example.

“People are telling us they would prefer a nominal charge than to lose a convenient local service. I hope the Government might let us pilot some of these ideas.

“It’s crucial we continue to leave no stone unturned and revisit all possible options for reducing spending in the future.

“At the cabinet meeting, I proposed a motion that fellow councillors supported, asking council officers to look again into whether there are other ways of achieving some of their proposed economies – so we can continue to support services such as recycling centres, school crossing patrols and community transport in future, if possible.

“By law, the council must deliver a balanced budget, and we are considering very carefully, the implications of all the proposals.

“Every councillor is alert to the extent of the financial outlook and it will be for all members, when they meet at the start of November, to reconcile a sustainable way forward.

“Based on the outcome of that meeting, Hampshire County Council will prepare the budget for determination, next February, including next year’s level of council tax.”

* Bordon recycling centre in Station Road, is open seven days a week from 9am until 4pm until February 28, 2018, excluding Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. For more details, call 01420 473591 or visit hants.gov.uk.