London waste to fill Cambridgeshire landfills

Despite Cambridgeshire’s record on recycling and composting, the county will have to open new landfills for waste management for rubbish coming from London.

More than five million tonnes of London waste will be sent to the East of England over the next 15 years, with Cambridgeshire expected to receive a fifth of that total.

Council bosses have expressed their unhappiness with the plans.

Councillor Matt Bradney, lead member for planning and regional matters at Cambridgeshire County Council, told Cambridge News: "It is frustrating that Cambridgeshire is being penalised for leading the country in recycling and composting and has to take waste from London.

"It means that we have to find extra space within our landfills just when we wanted to see them being used less and less.

"We will not know until spring just how much rubbish we will need to deal with, but clearly the estimate of 5.1 million tonnes is worrying."

The London waste is to be processed by London, arriving in Cambridgeshire inert and possibly as ashes from incineration.