A PROPOSAL to deal with North Yorkshire's waste by creating more landfill sites could be opposed by one of the region's local authorities.

Hambleton District Council looks set to object to a draft of the North Yorkshire Waste Local Plan.

The waste plan is a proposed scheme for dealing with rubbish across the region until 2006.

Before being approved it must be submitted to the Government for scrutiny.

Officers for the Hambleton authority claim the plan, which has been drawn up by the County Council, does not cover a long enough time span and does not go far enough in trying to reduce the quantity of waste which ends up in landfill sites.

Landfill sites in Richmondshire and the north of Hambleton are expected to reach capacity within ten years while sites elsewhere in the county do have space.

Government policy dictates waste should be dealt with near to where it was created, forcing the County Council to consider making more tips.

The Government has also declared the amount of waste going to landfill must to be reduced and have set targets which must be met. Rubbish disposed of this way must be reduced to 75 per cent of 1995's figures by 2010, 50 per cent by 2013 and 35 per cent by 2020.

Steve Quartermain, director of planning and environmental services for Hambleton District Council, said: "Although the plan recognises the need to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill, this can only be achieved if it appreciates more fully the implications of nationally set targets.

"The plan should actively promote more sustainable waste strategies as a means of gearing up at an early stage to meet the targets set at national level."

Mr Quartermain concluded: "It is recommended that the council lodges formal objections to the plan on the basis that it has too short a life span, it relies too heavily on landfill and needs to demonstrate an awareness and consistency with national waste strategy initiatives."

A decision on whether to formally object to the plan will be taken when the planning committee for Hambleton District Council meets on Thursday.

A spokesman for Ryedale District Council confirmed the authority was aware of the North Yorkshire Waste Local Plan but had not yet formulated a response to it.