A potential closure of one of Pembrokeshire’s waste recycling centres will come under the spotlight in a question to be heard at this week’s full council meeting.

Pembrokeshire is currently facing a projected funding gap of £31.9m in setting this year’s budget, with a council tax increase of 16.3 per cent, along with cuts in services to balance the books, proposed by senior councillors ahead of the March 7 meeting of full council.

The actual decision on the 2024-’25 budget – and associated council tax rate and budget savings – will be decided by full council at that meeting.

The 16.3 per cent rate was backed by members of the county council’s Cabinet earlier this month, with members receiving a raft of potential costs savings to the council, including a ‘red’ less-favoured option to close St Davids waste recycling centre, netting some £25,000, and later £60,000 due to associated fixed costs.

The fear of a potential closure has led to a change.org petition, started by Richard Davies, which has attracted more than 1,600 signatures to date.

It calls for “Pembrokeshire County Council to reconsider their decision and keep St Davids Civic Amenity Site operational for its invaluable contributions towards environment protection and community wellbeing”.

The Cabinet report on the red option to close St Davids stated closure could have a “potential adverse impact on fly tipping/ local environment quality and council recycling performance – St Davids provided 1.1 per cent of all recycling in 2021-22, potential fine is £140,000 for every one per cent target not achieved”.

It added: “This option was discounted in the 2021 WRC review and reduction in opening days and hours was selected as an alternative.  Due to fixed costs element, savings would increase to £60,000 for full year effect once site closed and environmental permit surrendered.”

In a submitted question to be heard at the March 7 meeting of full council, Milford North councillor Alan Dennison will ask: “Does the Cabinet Member for Residents' Services [Cllr Rhys Sinnett] share my concern that closing the waste recycle centre in St Davids is inconsistent with this council’s ambition to become greener as residents of St Davids and surrounding areas would have to travel 22 miles to dispose of their waste at the Fishguard WRC or over 30 miles round trip to Haverfordwest WRC and will he explore further non greener areas in which to make savings?”

Neighbouring Ceredigion County Council, which set its budget on February 29, is facing the potential closure of one of its four waste recycling centres.