The Petersfield Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) will remain open following a cabinet meeting today (October 14) of the county council.

The Cabinet voted unanimously to keeping all Tier 3 and Tier 4 listed HWRCs open and working toward identifying a whole system cost for Hampshire’s waste and recycling system.

Also voting for the potential of an improved and better recycling and integrated waste partnership between the county council and its district, borough and city council partners.

Prior to the decision, Councillor Russell Oppenheimer for Petersfield Hangers said: “East Hampshire had the highest number of responses during the future services consultation.

“In large part because of the number of responses that came from Petersfield. It was very clear from talking to people in Petersfield in parish meetings, town meetings that there was a big concern about the proposal to close the Petersfield HWRC.

“I heard three things in particular, I head that people were concerned about the extra emissions that would come from driving somewhere else. People were concerned about the extra fly-tipping and quite often I would make the point that there is no evidence that fly-tipping would increase.

“The third thing that came up a lot was the unsuitability of the road network to Alton. It’s a long, windy, steep road many people find difficult to drive and people didn’t want to contemplate driving to Alton to dispose of their waste.”