Communities are calling for alternative sites to be included in consultation for a major waste facility in Bury St Edmunds.

The current plans for a waste site at Hollow Road Farm, on the outskirts of Bury and near the village of Fornham St Martin, have been met with huge opposition.

The project for a household waste recycling centre, waste transfer station and vehicle depot is by St Edmundsbury and Forest Heath councils and Suffolk County Council.

Beccy Hopfensperger, who is ward councillor for Fornham on St Edmundsbury Borough Council, said she is pushing for alternative sites to be considered, including the original one at Rougham Hill, Saxham Business Park at Risby and the extended Suffolk Business Park at Moreton Hall.

She said: “People are concerned that the consultation only takes in one site so we believe there should be a more open consultation and alternative sites should have been put forward for people to comment on.”

Pre-planning application consultation closed on Monday and Mrs Hopfensperger added nothing would happen in the next two weeks due to the election.

Adrian Graves, from Great Barton, said: “Alternative sites should have been explored in a lot more detail before this consultation ever occurred and I welcome the commonsense and logic of going back and looking at a number of sites.”

Sarah Bartram, who lives near the proposed site and organised petitions against the plans, said the waste facility should be on an industrial site.

A spokesman for St Edmundsbury Borough Council said: “The pre-planning consultation for the proposed West Suffolk Operational Hub at Hollow Road Farm closed yesterday [Monday].

“Officers will review the responses to this consultation over the next couple of weeks and will discuss them with councillors after the elections. We will also be providing public feedback once the review has taken place.”