NEARLY a hundred residents gathered to voice their concerns over the potential closure of Alresford tip.

Councillors and residents fear the recycling centre in Prospect Road will close in council cost-cutting.

It comes as Hampshire County Council launched a 10-week consultation on the future of centres.

Residents gathered at Alresford Recreation Centre in the main hall to hear ideas of what can be done to prevent the closure.

Conservative city councillor Kim Gottlieb was quick to say he wanted the issue to be a cross party campaign to keep the tip open.

This is despite Conservative councillors at Hampshire County Council being behind the plans to close recycling centres in the county.

Cllr Gottlieb said: "Whoever is elected we are going to work together to keep the tip open."

Concerns over the closure went as far as claims some residents would burn their waste according to Lib Dem county councillor Jackie Porter.

The meeting heard that the tip is visited more than, on average of 153 visits a day.

If the tip closes residents in Alresford will have to make a 16-mile round trip to Bar End in Winchester and people feared the closure will increase pollution due to car journeys, and increased fly tipping.

One resident said keeping the tip open is "paramount" to the town. He said: "All of us here if I may say so are quite elderly why if we pay the council tax must which most of us are in Band E, why should we suffer more?

"And what about people who can't get to the tip? Some elderly may only feel comfortable driving a car 10 miles asking people to double the mileage might spook them a bit more."

Cllr Porter urged residents to take part in the consultation. After the meeting she said: "Because the council need to know the strength of public feeling they can only really do that if people send in a form which can be sent in by paper and online, and for me it is about the sort of facility that the public pay for from their council tax."

The tip is currently open seven days a week, only closing on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day, and the plans could mean that the tips hours are reduced.

Alresford Town Council will be delivering leaflets to every household in the town, these will explain the proposals to close the tip and how to take part in the consultation.

A committee has also been set up to fight the plan.

To look at the plan and take part in the consultation visit http://www3.hants.gov.uk/hwrc2016