DETAILS of a modern £25m waste recycling centre have been on display to gauge community opinion.

Augean plc intends to submit the plan to Stockton Borough Council to build the plant on land at Port Clarence, between Middlesbrough and Billingham.

The 12.7-hectare site would recover waste for reuse and recycling to ultimately cut the amount of waste going to landfill.

Gene Wilson, technical director of Augean, said: "This consultation was about informing local residents about our plans for the site. We feel it is important to get the community involved and keep them informed about the plans.

"We wanted people to come along and see for themselves exactly what we have got planned, and show them what benefits the site will bring."

Augean operates a landfill site near the proposed development, providing waste management services for regional and national producers of hazardous and non-hazardous waste.

Now it wants to establish a range of treatment, recycling and recovery processes to reflect recent Government legislation.

That could see additional waste products being brought to the site, including contaminated soil, wood, asbestos, solvents, paints, electronic waste and residue from other waste treatments, such as incinerator ash.

The company estimates that 60 extra staff would be needed to operate the site when it is fully operational on a 24-hour basis.

Mr Wilson said: "We believe that Port Clarence will become a centre of excellence for recovering the value from our more difficult to manage waste products. We will try to employ as many local people as possible, so that it can become part of the community."

The exhibition, held at The Clarences Community Centre, attracted a steady flow of residents and councillors throughout the day.

The scheme received a mixed reaction from people in the area.

Joan Smith, of Port Clarence, said: "I know there is a need for more and more recycling, but why does everything always seem to end up on Teesside. I don't think we need any more toxic waste coming to the Clarences."

However, John Stocks, from Billingham, said: "I welcome this project because anything we can do to protect the environment and recycle dangerous or toxic products has got to be a good thing."