In response to Somerset Council's proposal to close five of its 16 household waste recycling centres—including the Castle Cary site—residents have launched a petition and letter-writing campaign to safeguard their local facility.

This grassroots movement is a reaction to the council's broader austerity measures aimed at bridging a daunting £100 million budget gap for the upcoming fiscal year.

The closure of the Castle Cary recycling centre, alongside others in Cheddar, Crewkerne, Dulverton, and Williton, forms a part of the council's strategy to save over £35 million.

With an estimated saving of £963,000 from these closures and potential additional income from selling the land, the council is facing tough decisions.

However, locals who have signed the petition argue that the closure contradicts the council's commitment to a "Greener, More Sustainable Somerset" and breaches accessibility standards set by the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and guidelines by the Waste Resources and Action Programme (WRAP).

The "Say No to Dimmer" campaign, has quickly gained momentum, with a dedicated petition on Change.org attracting over 1,000 signatures.

Concerns are not just environmental but also practical, as the closure would significantly increase travel times for residents to the nearest alternative facility in Somerton—transforming a 20-minute round trip into an hour-long journey.

As the community rallies, Somerset Council has promised that "detailed consultation and plenty of opportunity for people to share their views" will precede any final decision.

The council said a final decision would be taken "based on those sites that offer the largest saving per tonne" and the final sites on the chopping block could change depending on commercially sensitive discussions.

A spokesman said: "We have a proposal that's modelled on the closure of five sites and what savings we understand that would deliver, but this needs more work. Commercial negotiations are ongoing and could change sites considered at risk.

"When there are firm proposals there will be detailed consultation and plenty of opportunity for people share their views before decisions are made.

"The saving is modelled on the closure of five sites, the savings that could potentially deliver, visitor numbers and tonnages.

"However, it is important to appreciate that commercial negotiations are ongoing with our contractor and the five sites considered at risk could change depending on the outcome those negotiations."