Plans To Close Acton's Refuse and Recycling Site Described as 'Bonkers'
Stirling Road could shut leaving Greenford as the borough's only centre
Stirling Road Refuse and Reuse: Google street View
Proposals to close Acton Reuse and Recycling Centre on Stirling Road have been described as ''bonkers'' and ''crazy'' by opposition Councillors.
Cash-strapped Ealing Council has agreed to a package of measures in an attempt to tackle the financial deficit and residents are invited to join an online budget Q and A Tuesday 24th February ahead of the full council meeting the following week.
As well as the recent announcement over the budget gap of
£27.7 million and council tax increase of around 5%, the authority has identified 7m savings which can be made.
They say this will be done through Future Ealing efficiencies, reviewing contracts and savings associated with the roll-out of the online My Account service.
A surprise announcement however has been included - the potential closure of Acton Reuse and Recycling Centre.
Greenford Centre would then be the only public site, and it’s claimed that this would ''consolidate'' recycling operations to just one and this will bring Ealing in line with other London boroughs. Residents who normally visit the Acton tip would be able to use the site across the border in Brent at Abbey Road in Park Royal.
The plans have been met with shock from many and Liberal Democrat Councillors are firmly opposing the closure. Councillor Gary Malcolm said, "Many residents I know in Acton and Southfield use the site and complained when the site was closed temporarily at the start of Covid. We have a climate emergency which the Council agreed to a Liberal Democrat motion a year ago. This will make it harder for residents to recycle and it will force them to drive from one end of the borough to the other, so is crazy. Please sign the Liberal Democrat petition which calls on Ealing Council to keep the Acton Reuse and Recycling Centre open permanently."
Last month plans for the TfL Bollo Lane development were given the go ahead.
This will see 10 tower blocks from Acton Town station to the 25 storey Bollo Brook House at the Chiswick end. Stirling Road is just behind Bollo Lane.
The Liberal Democrat's have started a petition against the proposal.
Sign up for Council’s Online Zoom Webinar on 24 February.
An Ealing Council spokesperson said, “Ealing Council is currently considering a number of budget proposals involving the boroughs waste services. One proposal includes consolidating waste and recycling operations to one main site at the larger Greenford Reuse and Recycling Centre, bringing Ealing in line with other London boroughs.
“We have ensured that residents in the area will be able to use the recycling centre at Twyford Abbey Road.
“Funding from central government has fallen by 64% over the last 10 years. This means that, for every £1 the council used to receive it now gets just 36p.
“Despite these pressures, residents rightly want to see good public services and for Ealing to be a great place to live. That is why we have worked hard to ensure we can invest significantly over the coming year in recycling, highways, in providing genuinely affordable homes and supporting our most vulnerable residents.”
Annemarie Flanagan
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February 16 2021