As anger mounts over the threat to axe more than a third of Suffolk’s waste tips, petitions have been launched to save them.

The county council is not yet saying which household waste recycling centres are under threat, but residents fear many of those in rural areas could be among the seven due to close in the spring.

An online petition to save the centres has been launched on the county’s own website – and individual groups have taken up the fight.

The e-petition has been running for a month on the county council’s website and has so far attracted 668 signatures.

The waste centres due to be close will be named at the full council meeting on February 17 – although the list of those in the firing line should become clear next week.

On the Shotley peninsula residents fear the county council wants to close a waste tip in Chelmondiston. People in the village are furious the household recycling centre maybe one of seven shut as a result of budget cuts.

Local people are furious and warn the absence of a centre in the area will lead to more fly-tipping.

In addition, they argue it would be unfair to close the facility because Shotley Peninsula residents would then have to make a long trip to either Ipswich or Foxhall.

Gayford Road resident Chris Steward said: “I want to recycle but I work from home and it is a long journey to Foxhall. You have to think about costs too, especially considering petrol prices at the moment.”

The 49-year-old uses the tip twice a week and is concerned how closing it would affect Shotley.

He said: “It’s sure to increase people’s propensity to burn garden rubbish. I just don’t accept this has been proposed by a council describing itself as green and promoting sustainability.”

Rodney Chadburn, honorary secretary of the Stour and Orwell Society, said he is starting a letter writing campaign to put pressure on Suffolk County Council and save Chelmondiston dump. He will be contacting councillors and community figureheads and encouraging the 200 members of his environmental group to do the same.

He said: “We understand the council is trying to make huge cuts but this is not the right thing for the county. As a compromise, we would accept reduced opening hours.

“Closing the dump will just lead to problems like fly-tipping that the council will have to pay for.”

Suffolk County councillor Judy Terry said: “No decision has been taken but the council is developing a community composting scheme and we are working to provide a programme that will help local people dispose of their waste if their local dump is closed.”