SIDMOUTH and Ottery St Mary residents will next week get a sneak peak of plans for a brand new recycling centre that will serve both towns.

Devon County Council (DCC) will stage a public exhibition on Thursday (November 24) over its bid to create a state-of-the-art �2million facility at land near the Bowd.

Residents will be informed of the latest developments at the event, which will take place at the Bowd Inn from 3pm to 8pm.

Council officers will be available to discuss proposals and a planning application being developed.

Councillor Roger Croad, DCC cabinet member for environmental and regulatory services, said: “We want to keep the public well informed. The exhibition is an opportunity for residents to speak directly to officers and to find out about the development of the proposed new facility.”

Planning permission for the Woods Farm Recycling Centre near Tipton St John is due to expire in 2012 and is unlikely to be renewed as the site is too small and gets congested, say DCC bosses. They fear the area will be left without a recycling centre if plans for a new facility fail.

Latest proposals will provide a superior site with good access, an ‘easier’ recycling process and will provide a modern, “first-rate” facility, according to Cllr Stuart Hughes, DCC member for Sidmouth and Sidford.

The Herald reported in March how a public consultation, held in September 2010, saw 84.5per cent of 529 people polled supported the development of a new recycling centre at the Bowd – less than a mile to the south of the existing Woods Farm site.

Cllr Hughes added: “The last exhibition was highly successful and helped us to decide on the location for this badly needed new centre.

“We’re inviting Sidmouth residents to come and find out the latest information on the proposals.”