CONCERNS have been raised over the delay to allow a recycling centre in West Berkshire to take household waste.

Residents in West Berks were recently banned from using the Smallmead waste site after the cash-strapped council stopped paying for the facility.

Meanwhile, people have found themselves taking lengthy round trips to Newbury to dispose of their household rubbish.

A planning application was recently submitted to allow Padworth Recycling Centre to take on waste, but it is likely to be at least March before the permission is granted.

Councillor Alan Macro, ward member for Theale, slammed the delay, saying the council should have submitted the application as soon as the decision was made to cut its ties with Smallmead.

He told the Chronicle: "This kind of application has a standard period of 13 weeks so it is going to take that kind of time to come to a conclusion. I imagine it will be a bit controversial in some places so it's likely to go before the planning committee. which could cause further delays.

"Residents in places like Burghfield, Mortimer, Pangbourne, Purley, Theale and Tilehurst have to make round trips of up to 30 miles to take household waste to the waste site in Newbury.

"This not only hits residents in their pocket with extra fuel costs, but is damaging for the environment.

"This budget cut was another poorly thought through proposal from this failing council."

West Berkshire Council stopped its payments to RE3, which runs the Smallmead site in Island Road, Reading, to save around £97,000 per year.

Residents in West Berks were banned from using the site at the end of June this year.

West Berkshire Council were approached for a comment.