PLANS to remove “expensive” and “redundant” recycling sites across Darlington have been revealed in a bid to save £8,000 per year.

Five recycling sites, which provide glass, paper and plastic recycling facilities, alongside clothing donation banks, will be taken away from car parks in the town as part of a Darlington Borough Council strategy.

Bottle banks and textile recycling points will be removed from Asda, off Whinbush Way, Morton Park Morrisons, Harrowgate Hill Club, Haughton Working Men’s Club and Chestnut Street Car Park.

However, three other sites located in outskirts of Darlington will be retained for residents who may struggle to access the Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC).

Councillor Nick Wallis, Darlington Borough Council’s cabinet member for leisure and local environment, said: “You can recycle at the kerbside anything that you could take to the bring seats so it really is easy to recycle right.

“The bring sites were introduced before we had kerbside recycling and so now they are a bit redundant and cost a lot to run.

“The ones in the villages are still popular so will remain but I would encourage everyone to recycle as much as possible at home or at the Household Waste Recycling Centre.”

Darlington Borough Council revealed the decision to streamline the recycling banks that were all introduced before regular kerbside recycling collections began in Darlington.

Collectively, the sites earmarked for removal cost the authority £8,000 annually to run on top of recycling collections.

Banks at the Hall Garth Hotel, Coatham Mundeville, Heighington CE Primary School and The Baydale Beck, Low Coniscliffe, will remain open to residents who may struggle to carry larger amounts of recycling to the HWRC, off Mewburn Road.

A Darlington Borough Council spokeswoman said: “Five of the council’s recycling bring sites are being removed but you can still recycle at the kerbside or at the HWRC.

“The bring sites were all introduced before kerbside recycling began and are now too expensive to run, costing around £8,000 a year.”

For more information on recycling, visit darlington.gov.uk/recycleright