STEEPLE Ashton residents have voiced their concerns about the new Trowbridge recycling centre opening hours, after bags of rubbish were abandoned in the village last week.

Resident Steve Harman contacted the Wiltshire Times after discovering two incidents of fly tipping along Sandpits Lane and Eastown Road while out for a run last Thursday.

Mr Harman said he regularly goes for runs along the lane, which he said was clear of rubbish on Monday. The rubbish included bricks, carpet tiles, empty sealant tins and a carpet cutting blade.

“I go for runs along Sandpit Lane about four or five times a week,” said Mr Harman. “When I went for a run on Monday there was nothing there, but then on Thursday I found two separate areas of waste and rubbish.

“It looks like someone may have paid to have it taken to the tip and then it has just been dumped in the countryside. It is really quite terrible as it is a lovely area and for someone to do this is just awful.

“It is the first time in the three years I have been running down this lane that I have seen fly tipping on this scale and I assume it would have been done late in the evening as it is substantial.

“My hope is that someone might recognise the rubbish from the photos, as it is quite distinctive and seems to be some sort of builder, and the person responsible will be exposed.”

The Trowbridge recycling centre on Canal Road is now shut on Thursday and Friday under the new measures introduced to recycling centres across the county by Wiltshire Council to reduce costs, which were brought in on July 13.

Since the changes to the opening hours were brought in, frustrated motorists have been left queuing round on the days the recycling centre is open and many have feared an increase in fly tipping.

Opening each recycling centre for just five days a week and reducing opening hours is expected to save the council around £290,000 a year without the need to permanently close any centres.

The household recycling centres, which are run by Hills Waste Solutions, are all open on the high usage days of Saturday, Sunday and Monday and two additional days every week.

Mr Harman said the reduced opening hours of the recycling centre could have played a part in the fly tipping, adding: “I think it is a fair suggestion that this is the result of the reduced opening hours.

“It wouldn’t be surprising if reduced opening hours at the recycling centre causes additional fly tipping, especially if someone couldn’t be bothered to wait.”

Another resident Holly Molloy also contacted the Wiltshire Times about the rubbish and said: “Since the decreased opening times of the tip in Trowbridge there has been fly tipping down Sandpits Lane and Eastown Road between West Ashton and Steeple Ashton.”