In 2016, we, the residents of Hayling Island, campaigned hard to keep our waste and recycling centre open. Now it seems that we need to do it all over again in 2024. 

Hampshire County Council must acknowledge, once more, the importance of this facility for our community. They need to understand that without it, we would be forced to make an hour-long round trip to Harts’ Farm Way in Havant. This would not only inconvenience us but also contribute to traffic congestion on the A3023, obstructing emergency services access and increasing pollution levels. 

The closure of our local waste centre could also negatively impact our tourism industry and potentially encourage illegal fly-tipping activities. We have been here before; now it seems we must remind Hampshire County Council why this facility is essential for us.

Hayling Island has a pressured, polarised, limited infrastructure; losing such a vital service will exacerbate these limitations. Our waste and recycling centre is not just about convenience—it's about maintaining environmental standards, supporting local tourism trade, ensuring efficient emergency services access and discouraging unlawful activities.

With residents now paying an average of 56% in tax, the highest since World War 2, we urge Hampshire County Council, a Council who officially declared a ‘Climate Emergency’ in 2019, not to contradict itself and asset-strip our unique island’s resources to the bone, forcing redundancies and substantially increasing traffic, pollution and fly-tipping on Hayling in the process.  

So please, sign this petition if you agree that keeping this facility open is crucial for our community's well-being.