Recycle more - and stop landfill

Ashdown Brickworks in Turkey Road is the only place listed in the county council's Waste Local Plan - and has a history of being the subject of many campaigns to stop landfill happening.

The site is under review in October, and residents are understandably concerned the designation might go from 'possible' to 'actual'.

Not only is Ashdown Brickworks close to a residential area, the access through Turkey Road, Peartree Lane and St Mary's Lane is far too poor to support legions of dustcarts.

And then there is the nearby Highwood, a site of special scientific interest and a popular beauty spot, which would feel the negative impact of such a move.

But is landfill in Bexhill necessary?

Plans are underway to construct an incinerator at Newhaven, which is hoped will take much of the county's waste - and the burden of finding new places to dump rubbish.

There is a growing school of thought that incineration is more environmentally friendly than landfill, and, though an unpopular choice, the Newhaven facility will be top of the range.

Another thing to consider is the growing take-up of people recycling their rubbish.

Rother District Council now has a recycling rate of 40 per cent - one of the highest levels to be found anywhere - yet there's always room for improvement.

It might not be likely that Ashdown Brickworks becomes used for landfill, however Bexhill Against Landfill and Incineration (BALI) is stepping up its campaign just in case the county's review decides in favour of burying waste there.

After all, stranger things have happened - the county might just get saddled with even more waste from other areas of the south east and want to keep the Turkey Road site as a backup.

If you don't want to see landfill at Ashdown Brickworks, perhaps the most powerful and subtle protest you can make is by recycling as much rubbish as you can.

If more is recycled the less needs to be burned or buried - protecting the environment in general as well as hopefully safeguarding specific local areas.

Whatever happens, BALI is keeping an eye on the situation and has pledged to fight.