HUNDREDS of people have signed a petition opposing plans to close or relocate the household waste site at Southwold.The strength of feeling on the issue in and around the seaside town has astonished even the organisers of the petition.

HUNDREDS of people have signed a petition opposing plans to close or relocate the household waste site at Southwold.

The strength of feeling on the issue in and around the seaside town has astonished even the organisers of the petition.

"A great many people do not want to lose this valuable amenity," said petition organiser Ian Drummond, of Lorne Road, Southwold.

"There is a real fear that if the site was either closed or relocated it would lead to a marked increase of fly-tipping in the Southwold area," he said.

Mr Drummond said it was not just people living in Southwold who were opposed to any changes but residents of Walberswick, Reydon, Wangford and Wrentham were all supporting the petition.

At Purdy's newsagents in High Street, Southwold, more than 400 people have signed the petition.

"It came as something of a shock to see just how many people feel so strongly about this," said newsagent John Purdy.

Mr Purdy added: "We do not have a cardboard or newspaper bank in the town and these are badly needed. The last thing we need is for a reduction in the recycling facilities we do have."

The future of the waste site at Southwold was put into doubt earlier this year following a lengthy campaign by town councillors in Halesworth to have a similar facility.

David Coupe, waste services manager with Suffolk County Council, was invited to a town council meeting and admitted that people living in the Halesworth area did not have a waste site and recycling centre within easy travelling distance.

Mr Coupe said it costs up to £200,000 to fund a new centre but a possible alternative was to relocate the Southwold waste site to the Halesworth area as it is presently under-used compared with similar sites at Beccles and Leiston.

Halesworth town councillors have written to other town and parish councils in the area to gauge possible support for the move.

At last month's meeting of the policy and finance committee, Southwold town councilllors unanimously voted to resist any changes.

"Of course we have no objection to the provision of new services being provided at Halesworth but why it has to be at the cost of the Southwold site being closed does not seem to make sense," said Mr Drummond.

Those campaigning in support of the household waste site at Southwold also want to see the access along Blyth Road improved to encourage more people to use it.