A report to Wirral’s cabinet this Thursday says the council has not endorsed any of the locations highlighted in the report and recommends “that public consultation . . . should be approved”.

This consultation will include the potential large transfer facility sites such as the former Graving Docks, Beaufort Road, Birkenhead along with the former southern car park, as well as the old workshops at Cammell Laird, in Rock Ferry.

A report to Wirral’s cabinet by deputy chief executive Jim Wilkie said the authority plans to bring a further report of recommenda-tions, including site specific comments and observations, to cabinet on November 27.

Last night a spokesman for Wirral Council said: “Wirral Council is committed to recycling. We have made tremendous progress in the past year and we recycle over 30% of our household waste.

“We and our partners at Liverpool, Knowsley, Sefton, St Helens and Halton councils have a need for more waste disposal facilities and a number of potential sites have been identified.

“Clearly we will also assess potential sites against our wider economic strategies and make sure that all factors are considered.

“Public consultation will be undertaken from November to January 2009 – details of which will be released in due course.”

According to the MEAS, if and when a plan is adopted, “it will then be up to the waste industry to come forward with planning applications for the sites and they will be required to specify the waste treatment technology to be used.

“Increasing recycling levels and financial constraints of disposing of our waste to landfill mean that Merseyside and Halton need new waste management facilities in order to deal with our waste in the most sustainable and cost effective manner.”

OPINION: PAGE 10

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