RELIEF could be on the way for frustrated householders facing queues for an East Dorset tip as the county council investigates doubling its size.

The household recycling centre at Brook Road, Wimborne, has been struggling under the increased number of people dumping waste there after residents living outside Bournemouth's boundary were banned from using Milhams Tip.

Now, in a bid to prevent flytipping, Dorset County Council is in talks with East Dorset District Council to secure extra land next to the Brook Road site to expand the service.

In an agenda to go before county councillors on Wednesday, September 7, officers state: "East Dorset District Council, who own some of the land, have now said they may be able to make enough land available for us to be able to double the size of the site.

"This would not be a complete answer as it would still not be large enough to be truly free flowing but there seems little doubt that it would significantly improve the operation of the site and would cut down on queuing."

The cost of acquiring land and building a completely new tip to comply with modern standards is estimated at £1.4 million.

That prospect has previously been raised as a way of taking the pressure off Brook Road and, although it hasn't yet made it into the capital programme, officers concede the redevelopment of the existing site would not be big enough to meet the design aspirations of a completely new site.

Councillors are being encouraged to allow formal negotiations with EDDC and enable preparation of a planning application for the extension.

Expansion could cost up to £450,000 plus an additional £6,500 in annual rental.

First published: September 1, 2005