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THERE appears to be overwhelming support for Sidmouth’s new recycling centre to be sited at The Bowd, close to the existing one at Woods Farm.

Nearly 93 percent of comment forms returned to Devon County Council so far, back Site A, an undulating field just a few hundred yards before Woods Farm on the B3177.

All the sites are owned by private landowners and in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Whereas Woods Farm is just a quarter of an acre, the new sites proposed will use around two acres of land, giving more room to provide a state-of-the art split-level recycling centre with people able to drop waste into bins rather than climb steps to reach the top of them.

The recycling rate at Woods Farm in 2009/10 was 76.7 percent with 5,277 tonnes of waste being handled. This site has to be replaced because the licence expires in 2012. Devon has the best recycling record in England.

DCC’s proposals have attracted a good response among residents, 300 of whom turned up to the council’s public exhibition, showing the three sites. Council officers, including Chris Chandler, senior waste manager, were on hand to answer questions.

Of responses returned, 342 favour The Bowd site, 22, Site B, Core Hill Lane, and just six favour the Sidford site.

Pat Morgan from Sidford, one of the 50 who turned up in the first half hour of the exhibition, said: “I consider The Bowd the best of the three. The one in Sidford is on the same road as the sewage works and if building continues in Sidmouth the way it is they will have to expand the sewage works.”

Joan Lister who lives at Bowd Court, also favours The Bowd site. “Looking at it, it is not going to be a problem and it will be so much easier for me to drop in my garden waste.”

John Jarvis and his wife Sue from Fire Beacon Lane, were concerned the Sidford site would cause traffic problems because of the Sidford Cross traffic lights and also backed The Bowd site.

Mrs Jarvis said: “The Core Hill site might be more visible from the road. This is tucked away and people already use this road. There is less change.”

An Ottery St Mary resident thought the Bowd site more convenient for those living in Ottery, while Sidford resident Jeff Rigg added: “It is a good idea to get people involved. I was going for the one opposite Waitrose but the new road layout means it is not capable of taking the traffic.”

Mr Chandler said an earth bank could be built at the Core Hill site to screen it from houses on the other side of the road. Access to this site would have to be widened, as it would at the Sidford site.

Woods Farm was built in the early 1980s and had one skip. Now there are nine coastal waste bins, two for cardboard, two for garden waste and others for plastics, newspaper, glass, wood, large and small electrical goods and textiles.