Norfolk County Council needs to make £41.5m of further savings next year to balance the books and leaders previously warned “tough decisions” could have to be made.
From this month, recycling centres are no longer open on Wednesdays and, at a recent meeting of the Conservative-controlled cabinet, senior councillors were asked about further closures.
Liberal Democrat county councillor Rob Colwell (Image: Rob Colwell)
Liberal Democrat county councillor Rob Colwell asked James Bensly, cabinet member for highways, environment and waste, if he could “provide reassurance that further closures will not occur”.
County councillor James Bensly (Image: Norfolk Conservatives)
Responding, Mr Bensly did not rule out the possibility of further recycling centre closures.
He said: “The county council’s recycling centre service is subject to ongoing refinements and improvements.
“Significant changes to the service, such as any further closures, would be subject to consultation before decisions are made.”
Wednesday openings at the council’s 13 full-time council-run recycling centres finished at the end of May.
Six other centres already operated on a part-time basis and only open from Friday to Mondays.
In another move to save cash, the council last year introduced a booking system to take waste to tips and changed charges for tradespeople.
In December 2023, the council’s Mayton Wood Recycling Centre, near Coltishall, was closed, in order to save £70,000.
The decision, which sparked anger, came despite more than 90pc of the 900 people who took part in the authority’s consultation over the closure saying the site should stay open.
The county council said usage had dropped off after the opening of the Norwich North recycling centre, off the Northern Distributor Road.
The council has plans for new recycling centres at Wymondham, Sheringham, Long Stratton and North Walsham.