VILLAGERS were left in shock this week after discovering that a promise to close a tip on their doorstep next year may not be honoured.

Residents have put up with a 40 years of noise and smells and an endless stream of dust carts, heavy lorries and cars carrying waste to the site.

People of Carharrack and St Day expected the site to be closed in October 2010, putting an end to their nightmare.

But now they have discovered that Cornwall Council has begun a feasibility study to use part of the United Downs site as a waste transfer station and a recycling centre, meaning it would still deal with thousands of tons of waste.

Carharrack resident Les Moulson instigated the Enough is Enough campaign which "successfully" fought a move to extend the tip's life.

Residents' group

He is also a member of GOOMBY – get out of my backyard – a residents' group committed to ensuring that United Downs closes "in toto" in October 2010.

He said: "Hackles have been raised in the villages at this bombshell. When we were promised the tip would close in 2010, we assumed that meant in its entirety. Some very mild mannered people are ready to take action.

"There is talk of non-payment of council tax, physical blockades of the site, even a willingness to go to jail."

John Newcombe, chairman of St Day Parish Council, said that reaction in his village was one of "disappointment".

He said: "We're not quite so badly affected as Carharrack, but the tip does give St Day a bad name and we were promised that it would close in October 2010, which we thought meant the complete operation.

Permission

"County seem to be thinking about keeping it open for recycling and as a waste transfer station, because they haven't got permission at Scorrier.

"The problem is that county has not made proper provision for waste disposal, and had no plan B, when Scorrier failed."

Cornwall Council said that the use of United Mines as a landfill site would definitely end in October 2010, but it was looking at the possibility of locating a temporary waste transfer station on the site.

A spokesman said: "It would be screened from Carharrack, and have strict noise dust and odour controls. The amount of traffic using the site would be reduced by around 50% due to a proportion of waste being directed to alternative facilities.

"The temporary station would be in place for three to four years and during that time a full site search for a new location will be carried out."