OPPOSITION parties have teamed up to demand a special council meeting over the future of a York waste recycling centre after more than 2,500 people signed a petition against its looming closure.

The Beckfield Lane tip is set to shut next month as part of City of York Council budget cuts, with the Labour-led authority saying the move would save £130,000 over two years, but the decision has sparked furious protests.

As more than 1,000 people have supported the petition calling for the site, which could be sold for housing, to survive, a full council debate can be held on the issue, but this will not happen at tonight’s meeting – the last one before Beckfield Lane’s final day of operation on April 15.

The council’s Liberal Democrat and Conservative groups say the site should stay open until the full authority debates its future, and campaign leader and Lib Dem supporter Reuban Mayne said a “clear vote” should be taken tonight, saying: “If there is some doubt about whether this can happen, the site should remain open until a democratic debate can take place and no attempts should be made for a rushed sale of the land.

“Closing the site without a debate taking place would be a travesty of democracy. If Labour won’t debate it now, they should say when they are willing to.”

Conservative group leader Coun Ian Gillies said he was told Beckfield Lane could not be discussed tonight because of “administrative problems”.

He said: “This is intransigence by Labour and the closure should be delayed until after July’s full council meeting. It would be pointless to close it now, based on financial figures plucked from the air, then debate it three months later.”

Council leader James Alexander said an “open and democratic vote” was taken when the council’s budget was set and Beckfield Lane would cost £2.5 million to modernise. He said he had agreed to a debate, but this was rejected by Lib Dem group leader Coun Carol Runciman after she was told by council legal officers that a motion by her party on retaining the centre could not be voted on at tonight's meeting because it did not say how this would be paid for.

“Nobody wants to close Beckfield Lane, but Government cuts are forcing the council to make tough decisions and we will be extending opening times at our other facilities,” he said.