A consultation on waste and recycling sites across the county – including potential closures to cut costs  – is to be launched by the county council.

Options to cut the £1.3million a year operating cost include reducing the number of sites operated or “rationalise the operating procedures and opening hours of the existing network,” a report to cabinet states.

Cabinet approved the launching of a consultation about the operating and opening arrangements for the sites and changes that will help meet cost reduction targets and for the retention of the booking system brought in due to Covid-19 lockdown.

Cllr Cris Tomos, cabinet member for the environment, said at Monday’s (March 15) meeting said that due to authority “budget pressures” savings were required to ensure statutory elements of the service continued.

The six ‘tips’ and their use have been reviewed it has been found “that a number of the WRC’s are not being utilised in an efficient manner, with low usage at a number of facilities across Pembrokeshire,” said Cllr Tomos.

This was also evident after the slot pre-booking system was introduced in May 2020, he added, with data showing Crane Cross, Waterloo and Winsel at maximum capacity on certain days with more less than half the capacity used at Hermon, Manorowen and St Davids.

Cllr Neil Prior said he did not oppose a consultation but “like for like” data for comparison was needed, such as volume of waste disposed of, as “people’s behaviours had changed during lockdown.”

Cllr Tomos said the “Covid period has been exceptional” and the tonnage amount of waste deposited at sites would be clear in the consultation, adding it had reduced since the introduction of kerb side sort and fly tipping had also reduced over the last three years.