Anger at Prestwich Tip Closure Decision

Date published: 21 June 2011

Prestwich Tip at Clifton Road will close despite a campaign from thousands of local people to save it, after a vote at last week’s meeting of the Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority (GMWDA).

The Tip, along with similar sites in Shaw, Heywood and Bolton, will close within months, angering thousands of residents who had clamoured for the popular facility to stay open and signed petitions in their thousands.

GMWDA, a Labour-run Council voted in favour of the closure plans, despite receiving more money this year.

Commenting on the closure plans, Liberal Democrat Councillor Mary D’Albert, who represents the St Mary's ward where the tip is said: “I am bitterly disappointed that GMWDA have made this decision. This is a backward step for local recycling, for efforts to reduce flytipping, and for local democracy. People in Prestwich will now have to travel many miles to recycle. I think the only people in Greater Manchester who want this to happen are the members of the GMWDA!”

Cllr D’Albert’s ward colleague Cllr Donal O’Hanlon handed in a petition signed by another 2000 Prestwich residents to the GMWDA meeting on Friday. Cllr D’Albert said: “The Labour-led Authority have just ignored the wishes of the people. They claim to be on the side of residents but are plainly not.”

Following the vote, Prestwich Tip will close but we have not yet been given an exact date. Cllr D’Albert said: “It looks as if this is it now, but we will carry on fighting to keep the tip open until the day it closes. After that, the only solution we have is at the ballot box, and I urge local people to tell this Labour-led Authority what they think of the decision at the next election.”