THE Herald’s Don’t Dump the Dump campaign has, with the support of councillors, achieved a minor victory this week after Surrey County Council agreed to hold a consultation drop-in session at Farnham Library this Monday (December 17).

Anyone concerned about proposed cost-cutting measures to the county’s community recycling centres (CRCs), as well as children’s centres, libraries, special educational needs and disability (SEND) services and concessionary bus travel is invited to head down to the library in West Street between 10am and 12pm, and make their views known to council officers.

When Surrey launched consultations on cuts to a raft of public services in late October, Farnham was conspicuous by its absence on the list of scheduled drop-ins.

However, the Herald understands Surrey reversed its decision and arranged the session at Farnham Library on the back of lobbying by Farnham’s county councillors and the town council.

It comes amid public outcry against the proposed closure of Farnham’s Bourne Mill recycling centre in particular, with more than 2,000 people having signed petitions against the closure of the tip both online at change.org (search for ‘Farnham recycling’) and in the Herald office at 114-115 West Street.

In addition, Farnham’s three county councillors - Tory representative Wyatt Ramsdale (Farnham South) and Farnham Residents members Andy MacLeod (Farnham Central) and Stephen Spence) - have spoken in support of the Herald’s Don’t Dump the Dump campaign, as has Farnham Lib Dems campaigner Stewart Edge.

Adding his voice this week, and completing the set of major political parties objecting to the closure, Labour agent for South West Surrey and chair of Farnham’s Labour branch, Andrew Jones, blamed a lack of investment and support from central Government for the threat to Surrey’s public services.

“Austerity should’ve been in the national interest but it hasn’t been. Too many poor people have suffered as a result of it,” he said.

Mr Jones added any potential savings to be made by closing Farnham’s CRC will be offset by a likely upsurge in fly-tipping, and also shared concerns that it could encourage people to “incinerate materials that aren’t suitable”.

“It’s short sighted, it really is,” he continued, “and until such time that central Government releases funds to sort out this and other crucial issues, such as social care in this constituency, nothing will get done.”

Surrey’s consultation will run until 11.59pm on January 4.