Congleton's recycling centre could be under threat as the council looks to make savings ahead of the contract's renewal.

Cheshire East Council Cabinet members voted to launch a consultation on plans to close some of the borough's eight recycling centres this afternoon (Tuesday November 10).

A pre-meeting report says the current recycling contract, which expires in 2023, 'cannot simply be replicated and that national and international changes in the waste sector need to be considered', and as such proposed four 'scenarios' for closure.

Congleton and Poynton see their sites close in every scenario, with Middlewich's only surviving in scenario number four.

Cllr Laura Crane, portfolio holder for highways and waste, stated that that no final decisions had been taken and the consultation would allow councillors and residents to air their views on any proposed closures.

Despite the planned closures of some facilities, the recommendation report says that under scenarios three and four, 96 per cent of residents will remain less than a 20-minute drive from a recycling centre.

The current figure is 98 per cent, with scenarios one and two — which are estimated to obtain the biggest savings — seeing 88 and 93 per cent of residents staying within 20 minutes of the sites respectively.

The consultation on the plans will be launched in 2021-22.