RESIDENTS are calling on a council to halt the closure of a ‘rubbish tip’ serving thousands of people — including Prime Minister David Cameron.

From September, householders in Chipping Norton and the surrounding area face a round trip of up to 36 miles to dispose of junk, after the Dean Pit facility is closed.

The campaigners say the decision affects about 22,000 people who live within a nine-mile radius of the recycling centre, including Mr Cameron, who lives in Dean.

The move is part of Oxfordshire County Council’s waste strategy to close two of its eight recycling centres to save £750,000. A centre at Stanford in the Vale is also due to close, but the council plans to open a £3m flagship recycling centre in Kidlington next year.

Earlier this week, campaigner Liz Leffman handed a petition of almost 2,000 signatures to the county council’s cabinet in a bid to get its decision to close Dean Pit over-turned or delayed.

Ms Leffman, of Charlbury, said: “The county is proposing to open a new recycling centre in Kidlington, except it’s a very long journey between Chipping Norton and Kidlington.

“The worst thing is it won’t be open until April next year, and that looks doubtful as they haven’t got planning permission and they haven’t put the contract out to tender.

“The chances are there will be no recycling in the area for six months.”

She said residents faced the round-trip of up to 36 miles, compared to four miles.

In a separate move, West Oxfordshire District Council has agreed to look at creating a recycling centre on its land in Greystones, in Burford Road, Chipping Norton.

The council would have to submit a planning application, and if approved, say it could open this autumn.

Ms Leffman said: “On the whole we would welcome this plan as an alternative to having to travel to other sites across the county.

“However, if the idea is to close Dean Pit and move it three miles up the road, then that would be a poor deal for local taxpayers, and we will continue to campaign for Dean Pit to stay open.”

A county council spokesman said Dean Pit would close at the end of September as part of the new household waste recycling centre strategy.

“If WODC open their own recycling centre, this could be an effective replacement which is closer to a local centre of population.”