A £500,000 investment would be needed to bring it up to the required standards, the council says
04:00, 05 Jan 2026
The closure of Derbyshire recycling centre could be a major part of a multi-million-pound cost-saving exercise by the county council as it seeks to draw up a balanced budget for 2026-27.
The council has a predicted shortfall in its budget of £37.8m for the year ahead, which has resulted in the new savings proposals being put forward. It is facing budget pressures including pay and price inflation and rising demand and costs for services, particularly in adult and children’s social care.
Part of the proposed savings includes the closure of Glossop Household Waste Recycling Centre, in Melandra Road, which collects the lowest volume of waste out of all of the nine household waste recycling centres the county council provides.
The council also estimates that around seven out of every 10 visitors who use the site live outside of Derbyshire, and substantial investment would be needed to bring the outdated site up to standard to make sure it continued to comply with safety regulations if it were to remain open.
The site is located within the High Peak which has two household waste recycling centres provided by the county council – one in Glossop and one in Buxton. Most district and boroughs in Derbyshire have one. Closure would require public consultation before any final decision is made.
Councillor Carol Wood, county council cabinet member for net zero and environment, said: "With considerable investment needed at Glossop Household Waste Recycling Centre to make it fit for the future, coupled with the fact that it’s the least used of all of our recycling centres and is being used predominantly by people who do not live in Derbyshire and so do not pay their council tax here, it’s important that we look at all the options. This includes whether there’s a different way to provide the service or whether the service is still needed at all.
“We’re looking at all the options before deciding on the best way forward – either continue running the centre and invest around £500,000 needed to bring it up to the required standards in the future or consult with the public over its closure."
The recycling centre is mentioned as a potential saving in a wider report on budget savings proposals for 2026-27 which will be considered by council cabinet on January 9, 2026 followed by the resources scrutiny committee on January 14, 2026.
The new proposals announced aim to deliver £22.4m of savings in 2026-27 to support meeting the predicted budget funding shortfall. The remaining shortfall will be made up from £2.5m of savings resulting from changes in the way the council operates, and £12.9m saved from the council's corporate budgets.
A plan for the transformation of the council’s operating model is being developed to ensure the authority is working as effectively and efficiently as it can and is considering all available opportunities to reduce costs through rationalisation and improvement.
Once in place, this programme of change aims to save at least £19.2m and potentially up to £38.7m over a two-year period taking the authority up to local government reorganisation.
Councillor John Lawson, county council cabinet member for council efficiency (DOGE), said: “Since May we have thrown everything we’ve got at ensuring this council is running as efficiently as possible and that every pound is accounted for and spent wisely for the benefit of Derbyshire residents, with no wasteful spending.
"The pressures in some areas, especially in children’s social care, are incredibly challenging, but careful planning across the council as a whole means we are looking to the future with confidence.
"This confidence has been boosted by the transformation programme which has already realised millions in savings. Despite the ongoing challenges, this programme is being significantly enhanced to make even more wide-ranging and sustainable changes over the next two years, leaving us in a stronger position for the implementation of local government reorganisation in 2028."
Other savings proposals are:
- Further rollout of technology and digital tools in adult social care to support people’s independence where appropriate
- Review of fee rates for home care in consultation with the Derbyshire Home Care Association
- Community support beds – improved length of stay and effectiveness will support more people to maximise their independence, reducing the costs of long-term care
- Service redesign and removing long-term vacancies across the corporate services and transformation department
The report states that where the proposed savings and efficiencies do not progress, alternative savings will need to be found by services in order to meet the council’s legal obligations to set a balanced budget.
The council’s resources scrutiny committee will consider the new budget saving proposals and provide feedback to the council cabinet, which will consider it further at a meeting on January 29, before going to full council when it meets on Wednesday, February 11.