The impact of potential tip closure in Glossop

A rubbish tip in Glossop is being considered for closure, sparking fears it will increase ‘cross-border’ use at Greater Manchester tips.

Next month, Derbyshire County Council is due to make a decision on the future of Glossop Household Waste Recycling Centre. The next closest tip in Derbyshire is in Buxton, meaning people around Glossop would actually be nearer to tips in Tameside and Stockport.

This could essentially put more strain on the recycling centres in the city-region from people who don’t contribute to the service through council tax. 
Greater pressure on the Stalybridge, Bredbury and Marple tips could lead to longer queues to get in and less rubbish space for actual Greater Manchester residents.

The introduction of ID checks at recycling centres was initially approved by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) in March following increases in ‘cross-border’ visits. An implementation plan for the introduction of residency checks will be presented at the Greater Manchester Waste & Recycling Committee meeting in January.

At a recent GMCA meeting, waste boss Coun Alan Quinn said: “I know councils are strapped for cash but if you make your bed you have got to lie in it. If you pay council tax here you are paying for these facilities.

“We cannot have this system being abused.”

Jon Pearce, the MP for High Peak, has criticised Derbyshire County Council for considering this closure. He says the move goes against the wishes of the people and will increase risk of fly-tipping and littering.

Derbyshire county council have written to neighbouring Greater Manchester councils about the potential consequences of closing the Melandra Road facility. They have admitted that closure of Glossop tips could lead to increased fly-tipping and littering.

Mr Pearce said: “Thousands of people have made their views crystal clear. 94 per cent oppose closure and over 4,400 signed our petition against the closure. Yet Reform still appears determined to press ahead. 

“What part of no don’t they understand? Closing Glossop Tip would force residents to travel all the way to Buxton, while risking more fly-tipping and putting an unnecessary burden on local people. 

“And now we know Reform has privately acknowledged some of those consequences. Whistle publicly making fools of themselves, Reform can no longer pretend it hasn’t heard the people of Glossop. The question is whether it has any intention of listening.

“On 26 November, Reform has a simple choice: listen to the overwhelming majority of residents and save Glossop Tip or explain why it’s choosing to ignore them.”

In response, Councillor Carol Wood, Derbyshire County Council’s cabinet member for environment, said: “Making sure this council is as efficient as it can be and that every pound of council tax-payers’ money is accounted for and spent wisely is our top priority.

“Residents have made it absolutely clear that they want us to prioritise services for Derbyshire residents over convenience for residents outside of Derbyshire. We have so far been able to put arrangements in place to recover the costs of use by non-residents from neighbouring councils, such as Greater Manchester Combined Authority.

“Proposals to close Glossop Household Waste Recycling Centre were put forward because the council is experiencing financial challenges and must cut costs. But no decisions about the future of the centre have been made and whether the council chooses to close the facility or pursue an alternative for delivering the necessary savings, it would be inappropriate to predetermine that decision before options and recommendations have even been drawn up by officers.

“Our public consultation received more than 6,600 responses with around 94 per cent against the proposal to close the centre. We’re committed to ensuring the voice of local residents is heard so that we can make a reasoned and balanced judgement when deciding next steps and I’d like to thank everyone who took the time to express their view.

“The council has never dismissed concerns regarding the potential impact on fly-tipping and we understand the concerns – but none of the research on the topic, or fly-tipping data held by the county council, establishes a link between household waste recycling centre policies and fly-tipping.

“We do however recognise the strength of feeling about fly-tipping and as part of the consultation we have invited evidence from a number of organisations including local parish councils, High Peak Borough Council and the National Farmers Union. 

“Where we have received a response, these are being factored into the decision-making process.”

The GMCA has agreed to see the roll out of ‘soft checks’ being introduced at the beginning of 2027 at all greater Manchester tips – following the ‘Christmas rush’.

These ‘soft checks’ include notification leaflets for tip-goers; waste centre staff telling punters they need to bring their ID in future; banners warning of ID checks at tips; and social media messaging. Full implementation of ID checks at all GM recycling centres is expected to be introduced later in 2027.

A spokesperson for the GMCA said: “Recycle for Greater Manchester is working with our local councils to mitigate against the effects of potential site closures in neighbouring boroughs. We will always prioritise our residents, making sure that they have fair and easy access to Household Waste Recycling Centres in Greater Manchester.”