WORK at a major County Durham waste tip is back on track after fierce criticism for failing to meet its targets.

Campaigners last year called on the Environment Secretary, Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, to 'call in' Durham County Waste Management Group's application for its St Bede's landfill between Birtley and Ouston, near Chester-le-Street.

But a recent county council report on the site's progress shows it is still on target for its scheduled 2003 completion date, while a series of public meetings with residents nearby have succeeded in allaying some of their fears.

Their initial complaints centred on problems with dust, smell, noise, the number of lorries using the site, the dirt deposited on roads and the nature of the rubbish.

But people power failed to stop the county council's planning committee agreeing to amendments over tipping regulations at the site to allow it to operate until March 2003.

The near-60 acre site has been taking domestic and non-hazardous commercial waste since 1993.

County council planning manager Richard Hird said: "Last time there was a planning application members were concerned about progress so they asked for regular update reports. Things are getting back on track now. A year ago the site was out of synch in terms of the site not being restored quickly enough.

"The poor weather also played a part with attempts to move soil hampered by the ground being too wet.

"But the measures taken have addressed some of the problems and got it back on the straight and narrow.

"We've had public meetings in Birtley and Ouston every three months and people seem to be more satisfied with the way things are going."

Meanwhile, a scheme to turn gas from the waste tip into electricity is likely to be up and running before the end of the year.

Generating equipment to produce around two megawatts of electricity is moving into place near the eastern edge of the site where it will be screened by trees.

The scheme was given the go-ahead after it was referred to Mr Prescott because the site lies in the North Durham Green Belt, where new development is restricted