Landfill site application in north east called-in

An application submitted by Sita UK to allocate land for waste disposal will be discussed further at a public enquiry, reports state.

Plans for the Seghill landfill site are apparently causing conflict, due to the potential location being on the border of two authorities, one of which rejected the proposal last month.

Management firm Sita UK, which is handling the process, first submitted an application for the site in 2005.

The organisation's general manager for the north east John Grainger said the firm was "naturally disappointed" that the North Tyneside Council rejected the proposal, but is confident that the secretary of state will "acknowledge the strategic importance of [the] case".

He added: "This is not a matter of a company wanting to expand for commercial reasons: it's about the regional waste strategy and the need for ongoing landfill capacity in this region."

According to its website, Sita aims to provide "environmentally responsible and increasingly innovative solutions" to waste management.