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ANGER OVER RECYCLING CENTRE CUTS PROPOSAL Basingstoke Beefeater sent to the Tower of London
FORMER Army veteran Lawrence Watts has continued his service for his country on home soil by becoming a Yeoman Warder at the Tower of London.
Basingstoke’s YW Watts has joined 36 other ‘Beefeaters’ in taking on the traditional role and becoming an Extraordinary Member of the Queen’s Bodyguard.
The 41-year-old, who spent 23 years serving with the Royal Corp of Signals, will now live at the Tower of London with his family and take part in various traditional ceremonies such
as the Ceremony of the Keys. He said: “Very few people have a chance to be a part of living history so becoming a Yeoman Warder really is a dream job.”
THE possible closure of Basingstoke’s only household waste recycling centre (HWRC) has been branded as “appalling” by the leader of the town’s Liberal Democrats group. Basingstoke’s centre in Wade Road is one of 24 HWRC’s across Hampshire that could be under threat as part of proposed costsaving measures proposed by the county council. The authority has launched a public consultation exploring the option of fully or partially closing one or more sites countywide or reducing opening hours in a bid to save money. Closing four sites could save the council £440,000, while £1,050,000 and £1,850,000 could be saved respectively if eight or 12 centres are fully shut down. And despite the Wade Road HWRC being identified in the consultation as one of the most efficient sites countywide, Basingstoke Lib Dem group leader Gavin James expressed his concern at the thought of the closure. He said: “The idea of these closures is appalling, we should be encouraging their use, not discouraging people. “It’s outrageous – with an increase in population, how can you justify this?” Up to £650,000 of savings could be saved from only opening 10 HWRCs over the weekend and
By Christian Wilson on Mondays, while reducing opening hours at all of Hampshire’s sites by an hour a day, one day a week or two days a week would save £400,000, £450,000 and £800,000 respectively. Basingstoke’s centre will become the borough’s sole site from tomorrow, following the county council’s decision to stop paying for Tadley and Baughurst residents to use West Berkshire Council’s facilities in Newbury and Padworth. And with nearby Hartley Wintney Recycling Centre ranked as one of the eight sites most a risk of closure, Cllr James predicted that extra people using Basingstoke’s centre would lead to an increase in fly tipping. He added: “Trying to get into Wade Road on a weekend is a nightmare as it is, which is hardly environmentally friendly. “And it’s only going to get worse if centres nearby are closed, or if they reduce opening hours. “Even if they don’t close Basingstoke, it will mean its even more busy.” Ukip Hampshire chairman Alan Stone echoed these concerns, adding: “We fear that plans to close this site will lead to a reduction in recycling, and a risk that waste will be dumped across the county.” VË Í ÖjÄË Ë¬?~jËÏ
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