A multi-million pound new waste facility has been lying unused for months and could be out of action for almost a year because a series of blunders has left it without a suitable access road.

The hi-tech waste transfer station at Maresfield, near Uckfield, was funded by taxpayers as part of a £1.3 billion contract between East Sussex County Council, Brighton and Hove City Council and rubbish firm Veolia.

It was supposed to provide a public recycling centre and transfer site for household waste collected from thousands of homes across a large area of Sussex and intended to cut the distances travelled by both residents and dustcarts.

But the facility has been rendered a white elephant despite building work being completed before Christmas.

Paul Sparks, East Sussex County Councillor for Uckfield, said: "It's a farcical situation. It is there built and ready to go but no-one can use it because they can't get into it. It's just a complete waste."

The problems stem from a change of plan to the site's access from the A272 near the Batts Bridge Roundabout in Maresfield.

A filter lane was agreed in original proposals but last April a new plan involving a new roundabout was proposed, creating a series of planning and legal issues over drainage and access to a neighbouring traveller site and East Sussex Fire Brigade training centre which have yet to be resolved.

Veolia and the council have insisted the facility will be up and running by summer but many remain sceptical.

The council will next week consider an application to operate a makeshift weekly recycling centre every Sunday in the Luxford Field car park in Uckfield for an extra year.

That scheme was due to be phased out with the opening of the new facility but has had to be continued because of the delay.

Coun Sparks said: "I would be very surprised if we see it open before the end of this year."

His opinion was echoed by Ken Ogden, chairman of Maresfield Parish Council, which fought against the creation of the waste transfer station.

Mr Ogden said: "They don't have the planning permission they need so I can't see how they think they'll be able to do it in that time."

The council and Veolia have refused to give the cost of the facility, although the value of a similar waste transfer station which opened in Hollingdean, Brighton, has been given as £10 million.

Both are part of a wider project which includes the controversial Newhaven incinerator.

Lewes MP Norman Baker said: "Here is another example of the catastrophic and crippling mismanagement by East Sussex and Brighton and Hove councils of the waste contract which is fast becoming a mill stone around the necks of the taxpayers of this area."

A Veolia spokeswoman said: "Planning issues relating to the site are in the process of being resolved. We anticipate that the facility will be open in the summer of 2009."

An East Sussex County Council spokeswoman added: “The Maresfield waste transfer station and household waste recycling site will open once we’ve resolved outstanding matters relating to some changes to the way the site is accessed.

"These matters are currently being looked at as a matter of urgency and subject to their resolution, it’s estimated the waste facilities will become fully operational by the end of this summer.”