RECYCLING centres will be operating for reduced hours with effect from this spring, as a result of budget cuts by Devon County Council.

Over the past four years the county has reduced spending from £600 million per year to £500 million. The latest Government spending review means the council now needs to save a further £110 million by 2017.

A review of all council services is prompting changes to the way some services are delivered.

For the waste and recycling service, several proposals were made to ensure its financial sustainability for the future.

Stakeholders, including the public, were consulted via leafleting, the website and letter.  Feedback was received online, by letter and in the form of petitions.

The responses have been given due consideration and the revised proposals means that recycling centres at Okehampton and Tavistock will remain open seven days a week but will operate with reduced opening hours by an hour at each end of the day on summer weekdays and an hour in the morning on winter weekdays.

Charities will now be charged  for disposing of more than 10 tonnes of waste per year.

Cabinet member with responsibility for waste, Cllr Roger Croad said: 'We do of course want to continue to support charities and up until now, charities have been allowed to leave as much waste as they like. However, Devon residents are paying for this through their council tax and we feel that a threshold of 10 tonnes per charity per year is a fair compromise.

'Waste, like all other services in the county, must take its share of the overall efficiency savings being made and we feel that these changes will allow us to make the savings we have been tasked with.'

The revised opening times will come into force from April 1.

New opening hours: Summer (April to September), Mondy to Friday, 9am to 5pm, Saturday and Sunday 10am to 6pm. Winter (October to March), Monday to Friday, 9am to 4.30pm and Saturday and Sunday, 10am to 4.30pm.