PROPOSALS to close recycling centres in the county were defended by Oxfordshire County Council leader Ian Hudspeth after it was suggested they could lead to fly-tipping.

The plans were announced earlier this month and yesterday the county council’s cabinet supported them going out for consultation from August.

One option on the consultation will be reducing the number of centres in the county from seven.

But council bosses have not said how many would be likely to close or which ones faced the chop.

The plans have already been criticised for potentially leading to more fly-tipping but Mr Hudspeth said he did not believe this was the case.

The issue was brought up again at the cabinet meeting by Steve Curran, Labour councillor for Leys.

He said: “We should always take into account the principal of extending opening hours to those centres.

“In terms of fly-tipping, if you reduce the number of centres a lot of people are worried that it will bring about an increase in fly-tipping.”