Somerby recommends closing permanently because the county is under budget pressure

A tips site in Leicestershire will permanently close from Monday.

The Somerby recycling and household waste tip will close as part of cost-cutting plans. According to Leicestershire County Council, this will save £300,000 a year.

As well as the closure of Tip in East Leicestershire, Shepshed will be reduced to two days a week, Market Harborough will move to three days a week and Kibworth Tip will be open four days a week.

Tipping points in Coalville, Lount near Ashby and Melton Mowbray will be open the same number of days per week as before, but their opening days will change.

The Somerby site is expected to be put up for sale later this year, a spokesman for the authority previously said.

Blake Pain, cabinet member for environment, said the county council needed to find savings to address a funding shortfall and rising demand for services.

He said: “We have held two public consultations and listened to what people in the county who use these websites have to say.

“The feedback we received from the public was crucial in revising and shaping our final proposals and I am grateful for every input.

“Sadly we recognize that the loss of Somerby will have an impact on the people who use the site, but Melton Mowbray is an alternative site which is a relatively short drive away and will be open five days a week.”

A cabinet meeting of the district council took place last week The authority is in a “dire” financial situation and needs to close a £33 million budget gap in the next financial year to avert bankruptcy.

Council papers show the deficit could widen to a £100 million deficit by 2028/29, equivalent to almost a fifth of the authority’s current budget.

Officials said the council needed to “either reduce expectations of what can be delivered” or find new funding.