Members of the public have pooled together to collect their own data on the usage of Bollington Household Waste Recycling Centre, in an event to save it.

Volunteers are giving up three hours of their time each this week, to survey people heading into use Bollington tip.

Bollington tip is set to be mothballed in the near future, with residents unable to use it to dispose of things like electricals, garden waste, and other bulky waste.

The volunteers are stationed on Lowerhouse Road, the last street other than the end of Albert Road that goes towards the private road where the HWRC is located.

In an attempt to try and save it, independent data is being collected by Bollingtonians from Monday to Sunday, 8:30am to 5:00pm, by 42 volunteers.

The data will be presented to Cheshire East Council, in the hopes they will reverse their decision.

The tip closure - along with sites at Poynton and Middlewich - could help save Cheshire East Council's deficit, which is close to £13 million.

According to Cheshire East Council, of the seven Cheshire East sites still active, Bollington tip ranked 5th for the highest amount of tonnage throughput tonnes in 2022/23, with 2,442 tonnes, or 8.8% of the borough wide tonnage total. (Image - Macclesfield Nub News)

The independent number crunchers claim to record people coming from Macclesfield tip, as it was 'too busy'.

People from Whaley Bridge, Cheadle, and even Tameside visited on Monday, June 17, according to the volunteers.

Campaigners indicate that the data will also be made publicly available by publishing on Facebook, as well as being presented to Cheshire East Council, once the survey is done.

Cheshire East Council HQ, of Middlewich Road, Sandbach. (Image - Macclesfield Nub News)

Macclesfield Nub News has contacted Cheshire East Council for comment.

Tom Shuttleworth, interim director of environment and neighbourhoods for Cheshire East Council, said: "At its September 2023 meeting, the council's environment and communities committee approved a series of options for the potential future longer term operating model of the borough's household waste recycling centres (HWRCs).

"A six-week public consultation on these options for longer-term provision of HWRCs in the borough closed on Sunday 16 June. 

Macclesfield Nub News will be publishing an article later week, with the General Election candidates thoughts on the uncertain futures of Bollington tip and Poynton tip.

"The final recommendation presented back to the environment and communities committee in autumn this year, will consider the outcome of the public consultation, the affordability of the options presented, and up to date site user data. This data includes visitor numbers for each HWRC and information about where people are travelling from to visit the different sites. 

"As part of the process of developing a final service offer, the council will be engaging with town councils to explore opportunities for working in partnership to support HWRC services in their local areas."

The volunteers are giving up three hours of their time each to collect the data. Members of the public have even presented gifts to the volunteers.

According to Cheshire East Council, for the whole of August 2022, 1461 people used Bollington Household Waste Recycling Centre. This averages at 47.12 users per day.

At the time of Macclesfield Nub News' visit to the independent number crunchers, their figure for Monday June 17 was 'way over' that, despite the day not being over yet.

(However, it must be considered there is currently a smaller sample size of just one day, as opposed to Cheshire East's 31 day sample.

And furthermore, this independent data has begun after a strong campaign in the community to raise awareness for the impending closure.)

The Cotton Tree pub, on Ingersley Road, pictured yesterday. (Image - Macclesfield Nub News)

'SAVE OUR TIP' banners have cropped up all over Bollington, from the Viaduct to The Cotton Tree pub, to Wellington Road opposite Bollington Co-op.

Last month, Cheshire East Council launched a consultation on the threatened sites, offering the options of:

• All HWRCs remain open as they are now. 
• Poynton HWRC is closed. 
• Bollington HWRC is closed.
• Bollington, Middlewich and Poynton HWRCs are closed.

But the start of this independent data collecting comes just one day after the aforementioned Cheshire East Council consultation on the future options for HWRCs closed down.