A WASTE management company which wants to build a recycling centre at Richborough has run into some reservations by Sandwich town councillors.

Thanet Waste Management plans to expand its businesses onto the former Brown & Mason Yard in the Ramsgate Road. Most of the waste would be soil and concrete but the eight-acre site would also deal with some commercial and household rubbish.

At a meeting on Monday councillors voiced their concerns and would not support the proposal without hearing more details.

Cllr John Bragg said: "We do want recycling but we don't want a site that could possibly be carrying out hazardous processes. The other worry is that this could pave the way for an incinerator down the road."

Cllr Jeffery Sneller described the plan as "ill conceived" and said it was intense development of the site.

In July last year Kent County Council rejected SITA's plans for a waste to energy incinerator on the former Astra Fireworks land, near the site of the proposed recycling centre.

Planning applications committee chairman John London said: "The latest proposals for Richborough have nothing to do with the SITA scheme. As always the Thanet Waste Management scheme will be subject to the full rigours of the planning process by KCC.

"The committee intends to visit the site and we shall be particularly concerned to consider the impact on the local environment."

A spokesman for KCC said there is likely to be a site visit in September and the plan may be considered at a planning applications committee meeting in October.