CAMPAIGNERS in Ossett have launched a petition to save a tip site on the Kirklees-Wakefield border.
Angela Taylor, of Ossett Civic Trust, collected scores of signatures at the recent Ossett Gala. Campaigners say Wakefield Council plans to shut the Owl Lane recycling centre, next to the Tetley’s Stadium at Shaw Cross, in 2012.
The council says the Owl Lane site will be redundant when an existing site in Denby Dale Road, Wakefield, is expanded and upgraded.
But people in Ossett will have further to travel with their rubbish and fear long queues at Denby Dale Road.
“People don’t realise how important Owl Lane is,” said Angela. “There are long queues at Denby Dale Road and that will only get worse if Owl Lane closes.
“Owl Lane is reasonably busy during the day but at weekends you have to queue. People won’t go to Wakefield and fly-tipping will increase.”
The Owl Lane site has proved controversial in the past with Kirklees people using a site that is only open to Wakefield Council taxpayers with a permit.
Angela said: “Kirklees people have told me they have got permits quite easily. Wakefield Council ask them for a utility bill but when they go they don’t check and just hand out permits.”
Ossett Civic Trust is also running a petition to have two unsightly recycling skips removed from Ossett town centre.
One is for paper and cardboard and the other for plastic, cans and glass and the Trust claims the skips are being abused.
Traders, shops and pubs are using them rather than paying for their waste to be taken away.
Coun Elizabeth Knowles (Lib Dem, Ossett) said she had been assured by council officers that the new-look Denby Dale Road site would be able to cope and that it would be a big improvement on  the cramped and out-dated Owl Lane centre.
She said residents in Owl Lane were plagued with problems, particularly on a Sunday when drivers going to the tip queued amid  lines of cars parked up for the Dewsbury Rams car boot sale.
Coun Knowles added: “I am quite impressed with the new plans for Denby Dale Road.”