PEOPLE should pay to use Oxfordshire’s seven recycling centres to avoid some of them having to close, according to a Conservative county councillor.

Kevin Bulmer has put forward a motion for debate at the council meeting next Tuesday asking leader Ian Hudspeth to ask the Government to review its policy on providing the centres for free.

Mr Bulmer, who represents Goring, will say: “As we all know this council is facing extreme pressure to reduce expenditure to the extent that we are now considering closing some of our household recycling centres in order to save £350,000 annually.

“The Government believes that residents should continue to have free access to household waste recycling centres.

“However, when the alternative to free access becomes no access, the argument loses impetus.”

Legislation introduced in 1967 and 1990 requires councils to provide the service for free and a 2011 government waste review reaffirmed this.

Oxfordshire County Council is consulting on whether to close up to four of the seven recycling centres in the county including Oakley Wood, near Wallingford, and Stanford in the Vale.

The council currently runs the seven household waste recycling centres at an annual cost of £1.2m.