RESIDENTS living in North Hampshire will be hoping to continue to use Household Waste and Recycling Centres (HWRC) in West Berkshire thanks to an extended agreement.

Hampshire County Council (HCC) is looking to maintain the current transitional arrangement with West Berkshire Council, which allows Hampshire residents living close to the West Berkshire border, continued access to the Newtown Road site.

Executive member for environment and transport at HCC, Cllr Rob Humby considered a report at his decision day meeting on November 14.

The arrangement was first introduced in January this year, after West Berkshire Council introduced a permit scheme limiting use of HWRC facilities in West Berkshire to residents only.

Following discussions with neighbouring HCC, an agreement was reached whereby North Hampshire residents, who live more than ten miles away from a Hampshire site, would be issued with permits to access the West Berkshire site at Newtown Road, for a transitional 12-month period.

After the meeting Cllr Humby said: “We have agreed the extension to the transitional arrangement with West Berkshire Council.

“Following my decision, work will proceed to finalise the operational details of the arrangement, and we will be writing to residents as soon as we receive confirmation that these details have been agreed within West Berkshire.”