RISLEY Landfill wants to expand its site by the size of 45 football pitches so it can stay open for another two or three years'.

The site wants to use land around junction 11 of the M62 that includes the current site office and a field.

It would allow the tip to operate until around 2011.

Biffa Waste Services, the site owners, have begun a consultation process over the expansion.

Consultants acting for Biffa said the completed landfill would be no higher than the current site.

The soil and clay dug up to make the new landfill space would be used to create a screening platform running around the edge of the field.

The consultant's summary report adds: "A new restoration scheme has been proposed for the whole site which includes the planned eastern development and would comprise larger areas of woodland, scrub and grasslands than the existing approved restoration scheme."

The development would make available 1.2m cubic metres of landfill space.

Risley currently receives around 640,000 cubic metres a year.

Arpley Landfill Site in Sankey Bridges has 90 per cent of the available landfill space in the mid Mersey sub region, according to the environmental impact statement.

The consultants report adds: "Arpley is known to have limitations with regard to access since waste is transported through the centre of Warrington.

"Arpley would not be in a position to receive all, or even a significant proportion, of the Risley waste imports."

Silver Lane Brook, which runs through the proposed expansion site in Risley, would be diverted along the eastern boundary.

Risley has been operating a landfill site for more than 20 years.

sbailey@guardiangrp.co.uk