Local people will have a chance to discover where Peterborough may excavate construction materials and dispose of its waste in future at a series of roadshows beginning on 8 September.

The consultation, lasting until 20 October, focuses on preferred locations for the extraction of construction materials such as sand, gravel, limestone and brick clay and for new waste management facilities to cope with the growing city's needs up to 2026.

The proposals form part of a Minerals and Waste Plan drawn up by Peterborough City Council and Cambridgeshire County Council to meet government requirements.

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Susan Marsh, Principal Minerals and Waste Planning Officer with the city council, said: "All local authorities must identify locations where construction materials can be excavated to meet local growth needs. The plan also identifies potential sites for materials recycling, processing and waste disposal activities, to meet the needs of households, business and industry."

In addition to accommodating the recycling and waste disposal needs of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough area, the plan makes allowance for the disposal of an estimated 5.1 million tonnes of waste from London. This is equivalent to less than five per cent of the total waste to be managed in the area in the period up to 2026.

The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Minerals and Waste Plan will undergo another six-week consultation prior to submission to the Secretary of State in autumn 2009. A public examination supervised by an independent inspector will be held in summer 2010, after which the inspector's report will be published in autumn 2010 leading to the plan's adoption in December 2010.

(CD)