WEST Somerset councillors have reiterated their support for a campaign to keep Dulverton's household waste recycling centre open, but stopped short of trying to block the Somerset Waste Partnership's business plan.

At a full council meeting on Wednesday, councillors said they would agree in principle to the business plan - which includes proposals to close up to eight recycling centres in Somerset - but were opposed to the closure of any recycling centre in West Somerset.

They welcomed the chance to save £34,000 by securing a better deal through the extension of the existing waste and recycling contract with May Gurney until October 2021.

But they said they would only support both the business plan and contract extension on condition that the scope for further, year-on-year savings was not ruled out and called for the contract to be subjected to a value for money review before the end of March.

Councillors also agreed that the waste partnership should monitor and address the impact of the closure of any household waste recycling centre and consider compensation for local authorities if fly-tipping increased as a result.

Cllr Chris Morgan, the lead member for environment, said many of the options put forward to prevent Dulverton's recycling centre from closing had simply been vetoed by the contractor.

"My view is that if the contractor does not like it, tough.

"I suggest the contractor opens its eyes to what is going on in the real world and reviews its short and long-term business plans.

"The culture of recycling has taken years to build up and would be easily lost," he said.

The waste partnership oversees waste and recycling services on behalf of all local authorities in Somerset and is governed by a joint committee known as the waste board, which is made up of representatives from the district and county councils.

Cllr Morgan said all the partners would be accepting the business plan but all had "grave reservations" about the closure of recycling centres.

Under the current terms of the business plan, up to eight recycling centres could be closed - with Dulverton, Coleford in Mendip, Middlezoy in Sedgemoor and Crewkerne in South Somerset confirmed as the first four for the chop.

They were put in the firing line by Somerset County Council's refusal to continue funding the centres as part of its own drive to save money.

The hit list was drawn up based on site costs, household numbers served, levels of materials received and distances to alternative sites.

Cllr Morgan said: "Somerset County Council looked at this as an easy first option not a last resort.

"What message is that sending out? When money gets tight we simply cut out recycling?"

Councillors also backed a separate motion put forward by Dulverton member Cllr Keith Ross, who called for the authority's representatives to oppose the closure of recycling centres when the waste board met on February 11.

Cllr Ross said: "By closing the household waste recycling centres, there will naturally be less opportunity for members of our communities to recycle with the consequence that some material is likely to be fly-tipped and more is likely to be added to the waste stream through an increase in what goes to landfill and via kerbside collection.

"The cost of dealing with fly-tipping in public areas will be borne by the district councils, the extra cost of kerbside collection will be borne by the district councils and the extra waste going to landfill will be borne by the county council.

"In any event, this action will result in more cost to the community who pay Council Tax."

He was backed by Cllr Doug Ross who added: "Even if people were willing to take their waste to Minehead or Williton, it would be a nonsense in environmental terms to recycle waste by driving miles and miles."