West Sussex County Council awards contracts worth more than £1million to a company to manage six closed landfill sites

While no longer used, the sites, in Chichester, Midhurst, Colgate, Itchingfield, Sompting and Steyning, could still leach contaminates into water courses and methane into the air.

As well as keeping an eye on such issues, the council has a responsibility to make sure the sites are safe and secure.

On Monday (January 15), Wayne Lewis, assistant director for environment & public protection, approved two three-year contracts worth a total of £1.169m for MM Enviro Ltd, starting on April 1, with an option to extend them for another two years.

The first contract centres around gas equipment maintenance and environmental monitoring.

This includes work such as the maintenance of landfill gas flare equipment, and the monitoring of landfill gas and water sampling across the six sites.

The second contract centres around estate management, with work such as grass cutting, vegetation clearance, hedge cutting and fence maintenance.

Councillors have until January 24 to call in the decision for further discussion, otherwise it comes in effect on the 25th.