OXFORD City Council is preparing to build its own rubbish dump if County Hall bins the only public recycling centre in the city.

Oxfordshire County Council wants to close the Redbridge recycling centre to the public once a new site is opened in Kidlington.

But Town Hall leaders believe the move will lead to more fly-tipping and land the city council with a huge clean-up bill.

Despite budget pressures, officers have been told to cost out a replacement dump and short list possible sites.

The county council says falling demand for waste facilities and improved recycling collections mean fly-tipping fears are unfounded.

Last October, property developer Martin Young wanted to use a legal loophole to turn a 20ft by 40ft piece of land in Littlemore into a tip. The city council refused his plan, but he has now lodged an appeal.

City council leader Bob Price said last night: “It is crazy to have a city without a city-wide waste facility.

“Kidlington will not work. It’s too far and won’t be seen by people as an Oxford facility.”

The city council is responsible for dealing with fly tipping and the bill ran to more than £57,000 last year.

And Town Hall waste chiefs fear that figure will rise if the Redbridge site, off Abingdon Road, is closed to the public. Mr Price said opening a city council facility could prove cost effective.

He said: “We have to look at the finances and officers are doing that.”

Mr Price added that changes to services had triggered waves of illegal dumping in the past, particularly in 2001 when the city brought in test charges for collecting large items like sofas and mattresses.

Oxfordshire County Council plans to save £750,000 by opening the Redbridge site for trade use only, reducing the total number of county recycling sites from eight to five, and only accepting non- recyclable rubbish at the proposed Kidlington facility.

The changes are in part a response to reduced Government funding and would be implemented by 2015.

The council said the reduced number of sites would be sufficient as rubbish collected at county tips had dropped by a third over the last three years and kerbside recycling services had improved.

County spokesman Paul Smith added: “Residents will be supported by enhanced district council bulky waste collections and home composting arrangements.

“All our sites would have a reuse store and accept a wider range of recyclables, including white goods, electrical items, compostable green waste and textiles.

The county said £50,000 of the money saved would be reinvested in campaigns to combat fly tipping around the county.