COUNCILLORS have pledged to fight to preserve the future of West Craven’s well-used household waste recycling centre.

Around 500 tonnes of reusable goods is collected each year from the West Close Road site in Barnoldswick, town council chairman David Stead said.

And he fears an increase in fly-tipping if the centre is named as one of four axed by Lancashire County Council.

Under cuts proposals, to be debated in Preston on Thursday, the number of household waste recycling centres will drop from 22 to 16.

Just last year controversy greeted the axing of a centre in Padiham and several others across East Lancashire.

Currently there is only one other site in Pendle, in Corporation Street, Colne, which borough and town councillors fear is too far away for would-be recyclers.

Coun Stead said: “There has been a lot of money spent by Pendle Council on educating people about recycling.

“We are a recycling culture, especially here in Barnoldswick. We produce 500 tonnes of recycled waste.

“I believe if this centre is on the list for closure then people will revert to fly-tipping and the town will look scruffy and filthy.”

Coun Maurice Horsfield, an Earby borough councillor, added: “I will fight tooth and nail to save our recycling centre.

“We should all stick together on this.”

Councillors sitting on the West Craven committee agreed to write to the county council to voice their “strong representations” regarding maintaining the Barnoldswick centre.