CONSTRUCTION work will start in February on a state-of-the-art recycling centre that will serve Sidmouth and Ottery St Mary.

The new facility near the Bowd on the C808 will replace the existing nearby Woods Farm hub – branded inadequate for modern demands.

Devon County Council (DCC) bosses say the larger centre will give residents a far superior service with minimal queuing and congestion, and make it far easier and convenient to recycle household items and waste.

The site will be of a split-level design where the public can deposit items for recycling or disposal in various containers placed at a lower level without the need to climb steps.

The majority of HGV movements will take place separate from the public area which will enable the site to remain open to the public when waste containers are being exchanged.

A traffic loop system, with ample car parking, will ensure a smooth flow of traffic preventing the problem of stationary vehicles blocking the access and exit route.

The new site will be of a design and capacity that will prevent vehicles having to queue on the public highway during peak periods or during container exchanges - as happens with the existing site.

The centre will also feature a small building and dedicated yard to enable recovered goods and bric-a-brac to be sold to the public.

The area will be sympathetically landscaped and planted with 5,000 trees and shrubs to maximise screening.

Councillor Roger Croad, DCC cabinet member for environment and community, said: “This will be a modern, well designed facility, fit for purpose and a real asset for the community. In recent years, there has been much more emphasis on treating waste as resource and this will certainly help residents dispose of unwanted items but also allow us to supply the waste industry with quality materials.”

Sidmouth and Sidford’s county councillor Stuart Hughes added: “I’m so pleased that at long last we are going to see work begin.”

Ottery county councillor Roger Giles said: “This will enable people to recycle more materials in a safer environment.”