PROTESTERS campaigning to save a recycling centre from closure at Kirkby Stephen are urging residents to fight against the council proposals.

Kirkby Stephen’s household waste recycling centre is one of five across Cumbria that could be scrapped in a bid to help Cumbria County Council save £2 million a year.

The closure threat has galvanised support from town, district and county councillor Peter Thornton, as well as local schoolchildren, who led more than 100 residents in a protest outside the Hobsons Lane facility.

Head teacher of Kirkby Stephen Primary School Duncan Priestley said: “Recycling is also on the curriculum and the centre is used to teach the children about how it all works. When I told them it could close it didn’t take long for them to put together a banner and get behind the protest.

“We’re a rural community here and we don’t want to be on the wrong end of cut backs.” The council’s public consultation on the changes will run until February 19 and pupils have written a letter of opposition to council leader Eddie Martin.

At a meeting of Kirkby Stephen Town Council chairperson Joan Johnstone said the proposal to replace the centre with a mobile service showed a lack of ‘common sense’.

“What good is this going to do for the environment? Where’s the savings and common sense? It wasn’t that long ago that money was spent on the one at Kirkby Stephen. Everyone must reply to this public consultation and object strongly,” she said.

Town councillors also feared a rise in fly-tipping if the centre shuts as the drive to the next nearest site at Flusco outside Penrith is 30 miles away.

The six sites identified by the county council for closure are Ambleside, Brampton, Grange, Kirkby Stephen, Millom and Wigton while other centres may close on a Thursday and Friday to save money.

This week MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale Tim Farron issued an early day motion in the House of Commons to bring the campaign, led by Peter Thornton, to the attention of other Cumbrian MPs. Mr Thornton said: “The council’s method for working out a recycling site’s usage will automatically discriminate against any rural area.

“Kirkby Stephen will always appear to be the first to be cut because the population is a lot smaller. Any rural service is always more expensive per person and if you want to keep people living in rural areas then things are going to cost a little more to run.”