YET more of a stink is being kicked up over Arpley landfill in light of an amendment to a planning application to extend the site's opening hours.

Operators 3C Waste, who have been threatened with action by the Environment Agency over polluting water levels on the site, have come under fire from members of the Agenda 21 waste group in Warrington for making the alteration to the application.

The company had originally applied for an extension to include opening on bank holidays and Sundays and half an hour earlier through the week.

Members of the Agenda 21 group launched a massive leaflet campaign against the scheme which accounted for around 1,700 objections arriving at town hall.

But 3C Waste has now changed the plan, removing the Sundays and bank holidays but retaining the half hour earlier part which in essence counts as a new application.

John Mulhall, secretary of the Agenda 21 group, claimed the move was a red herring intended to gauge public opinion and counter the massive leaflet campaign.

He said: "They threw us a red herring to test the community's feelings and I actually feel that the community response was stronger than they had thought it would be."

His comments came as the group launched a second campaign to cover the amended scheme.