TWO EXTRA sites for rubbish sorting in East Cheshire have been proposed at Chelford and Handforth ahead of a public inquiry next summer.
The new draft of the Cheshire Replacement Waste Local Plan suggests the possible sites at the Chelford Depot and on Lower Meadow Road in Handforth in addition to the existing suggestions of Adlington Industrial Estate, Hurdsfield Industrial Estate, Lyme Green and Parkgate Industrial Estate in Knutsford.
One or more of the sites will ultimately be chosen to sort waste and recycling for the East Cheshire area as part of a new phase of waste management which will see the council move away from landfill and towards recycling. However, none will be used for incineration or landfill.
Public consultation on the sites ended in December and the views of residents and parish councils will go forward to the inquest where they will be taken into account.
Macclesfield Borough Council's cabinet voted in favour of broadly supporting the scheme and stressed that a final decision has yet to be made.
Cabinet member Coun Frank Keegan, portfolio holder for public health, said at the cabinet meeting: "It must be stressed that just because a site is in the consultation, it does not mean the county will proceed with it."
Speaking after the cabinet meeting he added: "Initially there were a whole pile of sites and I think what they're saying is that they've narrowed this lot down.
"I don't think they'll all be chosen. We're switching from black bag collection to wheelie bins and recycling. As part of the future plans there will be an incinerator in mid Cheshire and there will have to be a site in East Cheshire for local waste to be bulked.
"This involves drying and sorting it and putting it onto one big lorry to be taken to be recycled or incinerated.
"We need somewhere in the East Cheshire area but there are different considerations for each site. Some of the sites are also privately owned, for example the one at Chelford, and the owner may choose not to sell it or put it on the market at too high a price."
"All these factors will have to be taken into consideration."
At least one site with bulking facilities will be needed for East Cheshire and additional sites with other uses may also be included.
All the sites have been earmarked for bulking except the one at Handforth, which is listed as a possible household waste recycling centre.
Coun Keegan added after the meeting that he felt the six week consultation period made it difficult for parish councils to respond in time if they only met on a monthly basis.
He said: "If the parish council receives the consultation document just after a monthly meeting it can be difficult to get a response together at the next meeting in time for the deadline.
"They should really allow for two or three cycles of parish council meetings."
A Cheshire County Council spokesman said: "The period for consultation is set at six weeks. This is statutory and therefore we refute allegations that the process has been inappropriately rushed."
The public inquiry into the waste local plan will take place this summer.
