MORE than 20 tips across Hampshire look to have been saved from closure.

Charges and cuts to opening hours are being introduced by Hampshire County Council to prevent closures after public outcry.

Under recommendations published today, all 24 recycling centres will close on Thursdays and open at 11am, rather than 9am, as civic chiefs push through £1.55m savings.

Council environment boss Rob Humby, who will decide on the changes later t his month, said "no stone has been left unturned" to find ways of keeping the sites open.

And he promised "new and robust tactics" to stop flytipping, which his opponents have warned will increase if access to tips is reduced.

Thousands of residents joined local campaigns, with a major consultation finding 92 per cent opposed any closures. Uproar was especially loud in Marchwood, Alresford and theNew Forest, though the council never identified sites which could be lost.

From October 1 the tips will open from 11am to 4pm, changing to 11am to 6pm during summer.

Hampshire County Council is set to charge £2 for users from outside Hampshire, while small and medium-sized businesses (SME) will be able to dump the same waste as householders for a fee.

Dumping the following items will also incur a charge:

• Doors and windows

• Fitted wardrobes

• Building materials including plasterboard, bathroom units, ceramics and fitted kitchens

• Tyres

• Gas canisters

• Garden sheds

• Wooden fence panels

• Soil and rubble

• Asbestos and gypsum

Cllr Humby, executive member for environment and transport, said: “I am very pleased to see that it looks like a way has been developed to meet Hampshire residents’ highest priority and keep all of Hampshire’s 24 HWRCs open, while achieving the savings the county council needs to make for this year.

“Hampshire has a large number of HWRCs compared with other local authorities, and with the continued reductions in government funding, it’s clear we simply cannot afford to carry on as before and provide this same seven-day-a-week level of service.

“No stone has been left unturned in finding ways to make ends meet to keep every one of Hampshire’s HWRCs open."

He added: “I realise that there is a concern that any changes to HWRC opening hours could increase fly-tipping which is both illegal and damaging to the environment, and I would like to reassure residents that we are working on new and robust tactics to tackle this.

"As the council responsible for the disposal of all waste in Hampshire, this includes fly-tipping collected by our district partners – in fact, the county council pays around two thirds of the costs of dealing with fly-tipping - and so, as well as environmental concerns, there is a financial imperative to tackle this problem."

The recommendations are set to be determined by Cllr Humby on July 22.