Pressure is ramping up on Bradford Council to ‘U Turn’ on their plans to close Keighley’s Household Waste and Recycling Centre as a petition is submitted demanding Bradford Council keep the site open and a full debate is held on this issue at their next full council meeting on the 24th January.
Labour-run Bradford Council is proposing to shut the Keighley Household Waste and Recycling Centre on Royd Ings Avenue. Such plans have caused outrange amongst the Keighley community. The site is heavily utilised by local residents and businesses from across Keighley and the wider area with many having spoken out publicly about their complete dismay that Bradford Council want to close this service.
Closure would result in current users having to travel much further to dispose of their waste, and would put pressure on other household waste and recycling sites. It is widely feared the risks of such a closure will also result in increased fly-tipping within Keighley and the wider area.
In an attempt to get Labour-run Bradford Council to reverse their plans and keep the site open, a petition has been submitted today by Keighley community champions, Laura Kelly and Martin Crangle to the Leader of Bradford Council, Susan Hinchcliffe.
The petition, organised and promoted by Keighley MP Robbie Moore, hopes to send a message to Bradford Council that they must listen to residents of Keighley and keep this vital service open.
With the petition receiving well over 1,500 signatures since its launch just before Christmas, the issue will now be debated at Bradford Council’s next full Council meeting on Tuesday 24th January.
Lead petitioners and Keighley’s MP Robbie Moore are still urging people to sign the petition so the strength of feeling on this important issue can be demonstrated to Bradford Council. The petition can be signed at www.robbiemoore.org.uk/SaveOurTip
Robbie Moore MP said:
“If Labour-run Bradford Council can find hundreds of thousands of pounds for vanity projects in Bradford’s city centre, then they certainly have the capacity to U-turn on their foolish and incredibly short-sighted proposal to close Keighley’s Tip."
Residents and businesses from across Keighley and our wider area are quite rightly infuriated by their plans. Closing the site will undoubtedly increase fly-tipping in the area and congestion at alternative sites and cut an essential service which Keighley residents and businesses are paying for through their Council Tax and Business Rates.
Once again, the political leadership of Bradford Council are determined to give Keighley a rough deal. It is great the petition has now been submitted, but it still remains incredibly important we illustrate to the Council the strength of feeling on this issue and I therefore urge all to continue to sign the petition at robbiemoore.org.uk/SaveOurTip.”
Lead Petitioner Laura Kelly said:
“The plan to close the Household Waste and Recycling Centre is another badly thought-out plan, the cost to the environment and Council will be far greater than the savings. The residents of Keighley pay for services and Bradford Council should provide them. This cost-cutting exercise demonstrates another false economy by the Council.”
Seconding Petitioner Martin Crangle said:
“It might not be glamorous, but the tip is part of Keighley, used by all residents to help recycle and remove waste. Nobody, not a single person I know, is in favour of the closure. Trying to reduce costs by closing a service like the tip is a false economy and will cause chaos to the alternative waste sites in the local area.”
