Ceredigion: Residents launch petition over tip closure fears

Residents in Llanarth have launched a petition over fears the Rhydeinon recycling centre will close.

If the centre closed, it would mean that locals will have to travel at least 15 miles to their nearest waste site in Lampeter.

Ceredigion council voted to close one of its four household waste sites and reduce the remaining sites hours, to help save money.

But it said no decision has been made on which site will close.

People in the area have voiced their concerns about the distance they will need to travel if the closure goes ahead.

Malcolm Pascoe, from Cross Inn, uses the site and said he was "very angry" about the prospect.

"It'll be worse for the environment, because people are going to be travelling more, and there'll be an increase in fly-tipping," he said.

The nearest site, at Lampeter, is a 15 mile (24km) journey from Llanarth. The site near Cardigan is 17 miles (27km) away, with the remaining site in Aberystwyth 21 miles (33km) away.

Over 1300 people have signed an online petition, opposing any closure.

Councillor Mair Jones, from Llanarth community council, believes the impact of the closure will lead to an increase in flytipping.

She said high tourism in the area would lead to rubbish on the waysides and the council would not have the resources to collect it, leaving locals to deal with the problems.

These latest fears come after a similar threat of the site closing in 2018. Instead, opening hours were reduced and it is now only open three days a week.

The proposed closure has come following Ceredigion council's £14m budget shortfall this year.

Ceredigion council said any proposals for consideration following completion of the review will be subject to the Council's decision-making processes.