The future of a former Norfolk tip closed down to save thousands of pounds remains unclear, more than nine months after it was shut.

Officers at Norfolk County Council say they are still mulling over what to do with the land at what used to be Mayton Wood Recycling Centre.

Mayton Wood Recycling Centre shut in December last yearMayton Wood Recycling Centre shut in December last year (Image: Antony Kelly)

The recycling centre, near Coltishall, was controversially closed at the start of December last year to save £70,000.

The council said usage of the site, off Old Cromer Road at Little Hautbois, had dropped since the Norwich North Recycling Centre, off the Norwich Northern Distributor Road, opened in 2021.

But the authority, which has used land it owns elsewhere in the county to build homes on, using its arms-length Repton Homes company, has yet to decide what to do at Mayton Wood.

The council said the condition of the site needs to be assessed before any decisions are taken.

James BenslyJames Bensly (Image: Norfolk Conservatives)

James Bensly, the county council's cabinet member for environment and waste, said: "Following the closure of a recycling centre, the environmental permit to operate the site must be surrendered.

"This process typically takes between six to 12 months and involves the creation of a comprehensive site condition report.

"The Environment Agency will check the report and set any conditions to ensure the site is returned to a satisfactory state.

"Providing all the required steps have been completed, the Environment Agency will issue a surrender notice.

"Our standard property process will guide any potential future uses for the site, which will include evaluating if the land could be used for other council functions."

County Hall's Conservative-controlled cabinet unanimously agreed to shut the tip in October last year, despite more than 90pc of the 900 people who took part in the authority's consultation over the closure saying it should stay open.

The council recently agreed to close all of its 19 recycling centres on Wednesdays as part of a move to save £42m and is also due to bring in a booking system for trips to the tip.