Plans to cut Bognor tip opening hours called '˜insane'

Plans to close Bognor's tip for two days a week have been brandished '˜totally insane' by a long-standing district and county councillor.
Councillor Francis Oppler says the queues will be 'horrendous'Councillor Francis Oppler says the queues will be 'horrendous'
Councillor Francis Oppler says the queues will be 'horrendous'

Francis Oppler (Lib Dem, Bognor Regis East) said fly-tipping would increase and queues at the site would be ‘horrendous’ if plans to also reduce opening hours to 4.30pm went through.

Cllr Oppler said: “I’m horrified because it’s an extremely well-used facility, not only by the people of Bognor but by people right across the county.

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“It’s an attack on a frontline service that people already pay for and will continue paying for and reducing it will have a significant impact.

“At weekends there are already regular queues to get in, so if they close it for two days a week and reduced opening hours to 4.30pm the queues will be horrendous.

People won’t be able to use the site during working hours, so congestion at the weekends will be terrible.

“People will still need to get rid of their garden rubbish so will only increase the danger of fly-tipping.”

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Household recycling sites in Littlehampton, Shoreham, Worthing, Horsham, East Grinstead and Billinghurst – all currently open seven days a week like the Shripney Road facility – are all earmarked for a reduction to five days and reduced opening hours.

The measures are designed to save West Sussex County Council £2m a year, and a public consultation is due to close on June 12 (visit haveyoursay.westsussex.gov.uk)

At last Friday’s WSCC full council meeting cllr Oppler’s calls for the consultation to be extended were rejected by David Barling, cabinet member for residents’ services, along with cllr James Walsh’s motion to scrap the consultation altogether.

Cllr Oppler said he was ‘appalled’ by cllr Barling’s refusal to consider either motion.

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He added: “The plans are also to charge £4 for a bag of rubble, £4 a tyre and ban trailers from the site which is totally insane.”

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