Councillor Mark Coates blasts Hampshire County Council proposal to shut Hayling Island tip

Campaigners are fighting to keep The Hayling Waste Recycling Centre on Hayling island in operation, having successfully waged a similar campaign in 2016.

The facility is under threat after Hampshire County Council announced a string of proposed ways to save money as part of a bid to save the county council £1.6 million per year.

Hayling East Labour councillor Mark Coates is leading the charge to save the facility, having launched a Change.org petition which has amassed more than 1,800 signatures so far. He said the prospect of losing the tip is "desperately worrying" and would have a severe impact on the Hayling Island Community. The petition Councillor Coates told The News: "Firstly, I have to say that we thought we'd seen the back of attempts by Hampshire to asset-strip Hayling Island of its Waste Recycling Centre in 2016.  As we pointed out then, asking local residents and businesses to recycle excess waste via a circuitous, one hour-plus round trip to Harts’ Farm Way in Havant and back again would only serve to further clog up the A3023 (the only road on and off the Island), hindering access for our emergency services, increasing pollution, negatively affecting our tourist trade and tempting more fly-tippers.  It is therefore beyond disappointing that Hampshire, a County Council who declared a 'climate emergency' in 2019, are now considering taking action in the opposite direction; it looks and feels hypocritical and short-sighted, and we strongly urge them to reconsider for all these reasons and more.

"Aside from the environmental impacts, we are also very concerned for the workers there who face redundancies, kind and helpful local people who are valued members of our community in the same way local posties and shopkeepers are.  Make no mistake, the ripple effects of losing this facility will be felt right across our small, Island community. 

"For me and my fellow ward councillors on Hayling East, regardless of our political labels, this news is desperately worrying.  However, we remain hopeful that Councillor Adams-King will listen to residents' concerns and consider the long-term impact of closing a community Tip on an Island with a polarised and pressured infrastructure, and that he will meet with Hayling's community leaders before the end of the consultation period to discuss these issues, when we hope to present him with our community petition."

Hampshire County Council’s plan to close as many as 12 tips will also see the opening hours and days at other the household waste recycling centres (HWRC) changed, as well as the types of waste accepted altered. The council has presented its proposal as part of the saving plan to meet the forecasted £132 million budget shortfall by April 2025, with all departments asked to reduce costs and provide the legal minimum of services required by law.

The county council has targeted Alresford, Bishops Waltham, Fair Oak, Hartley Wintney, and Hayling Island as the smallest sites with the poorest performing and most expensive to run. The closure of these five would save around £500,000 per year. Furthermore, due to operational challenges and investment requirements, closures could happen in the Aldershot, Bordon, Casbrook, Hedge End, Marchwood, Petersfield, and Somerley sites.

You can give your feedback on the proposed cuts using this online consultation response form.

You can find more information about the campaign to save the tip - and sign the petition - here.