The closure of the Southern Recycling Centre on Mondays has provoked strong objections from Castletown commissioners, concerned it could lead to fly tipping.

The centre, formerly the Southern Civic Amenity Site, will be closed on Mondays and public holidays from April 6.

The normal working hours will be 9.30am to 4pm, Tuesday to Sunday.

In a letter to southern local authorities from centre clerk Alastair Hamilton, board chairman Alan Grace is quoted as saying that in the last two years they have trialled being open for longer; they found that being open earlier and at lunchtime was popular, but that it incurred cost.

The site, he says, needs investment and waste disposal costs have risen ’significantly’. Opening hours have therefore been changed to avoid increasing charges to ratepayers as the centre is funded by the southern local authorities.

Town commissioner Colin Leather said: ’I strongly object to this, it’s a public service and well used.

’If you go out to the centre and find it’s shut, it could lead to fly tipping . I totally and utterly disagree - it will not be in the public interest.

’People will pay for a service when they are getting a service; a surcharge on local authorities would not be much.’

Mr Leather proposed they respond expressing their disappointment at the decision to close on Mondays and was seconded by chairman Richard McAleer.

Southern authorities are already contributing more to the centre. Mr Hamilton wrote to them in January revealing that the charges would rise after government reversed its decision on how it charges for waste disposal.