PLANS are being put in place by Dudley Council to close Stourbridge’s tip and move operations to Brierley Hill.

A report has been discussed by council chiefs on proposals to convert the Leys Depot in Brierley Hill into the borough’s new centralised Household Waste and Recycling Centre.

During a meeting of Dudley Council’s cabinet, proposals to “dispose” of the current Birmingham Street tip in Stourbridge through the government’s One Public Estate programme were approved.

Councillor Hilary Bills, cabinet member for environmental services, said: “At peak times, our civic amenity site in Stourbridge gets very busy and can lead to traffic queuing out of the entrance and onto the busy main road.

“We’re therefore exploring other options such as the Leys Depot, which has been identified as a better location for the waste and recycling centre long term as it has more capacity than the current site.

“This is also part of a much wider rationale to improve the way we work to bring about savings and be more cost effective.”

The report also gave details on how improvements could be made to Dudley’s Lister Road depot, however, Cradley and Wollescote's Councillor Richard Body said the council’s plans are “very worrying”.

The Labour cllr added: “I’m very disappointed. I don't think many Stourbridge residents are going to agree to any proposal to close the tip.”

The proposals, which will be subject to planning consent, including a traffic impact assessment and consultation with the Environment Agency, will be discussed at the next full council meeting on Monday (February 27).

Birmingham Street tip is currently open daily between 9am and 5pm.