LETTER: Confusion over Colne Recycling Centre closure plan

I, TOO, like David Penney (“Confused”, Leader Times, September 2nd) am also confused about the proposed closure by Lancashire County Council of the recycling centre at Colne or known locally as “the tip near Asda”. LCC states in its Consultation Review, July, 2011 document, “as Lancashire County Council does not own the Colne facility, there is no guarantee a HWRC service could be provided in Pendle”.

The reason I am confused is that, if the site is “fully owned” by Sita, who presumably have a contract which, for a certain period of time and an agreed amount of money, allows LCC to use Sita’s facilities at the Colne site for the collection and recycling of unwanted household materials, how can LCC close down something that doesn’t belong to them? Surely that decision can only be taken by the owners of the site? If LCC had said the reason for them withdrawing from the facility was “that due to the cost of the contract being too high we will not be renewing it” or if Sita had said it was indeed itself who wanted to close the Colne facility for whatever reason, then this I could have understood.

I can only urge YOU, the residents of Pendle, to sign any petitions you see in an attempt to not only keep our recycling centre open to protect the jobs of the people who work at “the tip” who will be made redundant and, not only to keep a very valuable asset to our area, but to also stop the fly-tipping which will, without a doubt, increase if the closure goes ahead.

I would like to say thank you to Lauren Brown for her excellent article “Keep it open”, August 26th. Please fill in the slip on the front of the paper and send it off, and may I also thank Lauren for mentioning about the petition I have organised locally. The petition I have started is something I have done and I am not linked to any political party, nor do I have any connections to the council.

May I offer my thanks to the support I received when I was collecting in Colne on Saturday, September 3rd, and had a wonderful response and added another 360 names on the day.

VINCENT LANDON

Fife Street, Barrowford