Discussions have begun regarding the potential reopening of Cheltenham’s Swindon Road household recycling centre, although a full review of the site is expected to take some time to complete. The recycling centre was temporarily closed on January 10 by Cheltenham Borough Council, which is led by the Liberal Democrats. At the time, the council hoped Gloucestershire County Council (GCC) would take ownership of the site.
Cheltenham Borough Council indicated that an investment of about £1 million is necessary to upgrade the tip to meet new environmental standards. However, the then-Conservative leadership at Shire Hall declined this proposal, citing sufficient capacity at nearby recycling centres such as Wingmoor Farm in Bishop’s Cleeve.
Martin Horwood, the County Council’s Cabinet Member for Nature, Climate, and Waste Reduction and a Liberal Democrat representative for Leckhampton and Warden Hill, confirmed in a council meeting that conversations about the site’s future are ongoing. He responded to a formal question from former County and Borough Councillor Tim Harman.
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Harman, a Conservative, had asked whether Horwood had engaged with the Borough Council to facilitate reopening the tip, which is widely considered missed by Cheltenham residents. He also inquired about the timeframe for the review and urged that the land be preserved for potential reopening pending the review’s outcome.
Horwood acknowledged the review’s complexity and the time it would require, emphasizing the intention to secure an outcome beneficial to both taxpayers and the environment. “I have asked officers to scope this, but we do not yet have a timeline,” he said. He stressed that decisions should not be rushed or made prematurely to allow all future options to remain viable.
He further noted a renewed spirit of cooperation following recent local government reorganization, highlighting that challenges similar to those at Swindon Road are impacting GCC recycling sites countywide. Additionally, he mentioned cross-boundary issues where residents face difficulties accessing their nearest household recycling centres due to council jurisdictional boundaries.