TOWN councillors will present recycling bosses with a petition containing more than 3,000 names against the possible closure of a vital centre.

Earlier this year a document was leaked claiming Essex County Council were considering closing a number of sites, including at West End Lane in Dovercourt.

The fears were rubbished by the council, claiming the papers were historical and an if and maybe scenario, however town councillor Ivan Henderson believes it is a real possibility.

“I was at a briefing at Essex County Council when officers were discussing cutting sites so to say that is not on the agenda is not true,” he said.

“The people of Harwich rely on the service and we have collected three thousand signatures on a petition to and the public were queuing up to sign because they realise how important it is.

“We will present the signatures to Essex County Council because the service is vital to the town.”

An Essex County Council spokesman said: “No decisions have been made to close any of the recycling centres in Essex. We have recently conducted a survey to better understand what residents value about the recycling centres around the county.

“The survey was the start of a process to review and understand how recycling centres could change in order to meet the long term requirements of residents, and to ensure this service is delivered in the most cost effective way for Essex taxpayers.

“The County Council is currently facing significant financial challenges and it is therefore important we review spend across all services.

“All responses to the survey will be carefully considered as part of this process, we will then work with partners including district and borough councils to draw up any proposed changes. Residents will be fully consulted if any changes are proposed to services.”