Families are fighting proposals to build a waste transfer station near two schools.

Up to 120,000 tonnes of rubbish will be handled each year at the materials recovery facility and transfer station planned for the former abattoir site off Hollingdean Lane, Brighton.

Parents of children attending the nearby Downs Infant School, in Ditchling Road, and Downs Junior School, in Rugby Road, say the development will trigger an increase in traffic, with opening times coinciding with school hours.

Fears about the impact of the development on the air quality and the amount of noise generated by the site have also prompted support for the campaign from homeowners.

Parents Against The Hollingdean Waste Transfer Station and Material Recovery Facility development want the project moved to the edge of the city.

Mother of two Julie Archer, of Hollingdean Terrace, said: "You cannot have all Brighton and Hove's waste going slap bang in the middle of a residential area.

"This development will destroy our quality of life because of the size of the lorries, the number of them and the fact that kids are walking to schools.

"We are not against recycling. Many of us have recycling boxes outside our homes. But this facility should go on the outskirts."

The application for the £10 million waste station was submitted to Brighton and Hove City Council planners by Onyx South Downs last month. The company has a 25-year contract to handle the city's waste dealing with recyclable and non-recyclable litter from both kerbside collections and rubbish banks.

The proposal for the council-owned land council-owned land is to allow material such as paper and card to be recycled.

The waste transfer station would package litter to be sent to other rubbish tips while a planned educational centre will explain the recycling process to visitors.

An Onyx spokesman said: "This facility is key to supporting the expansion of recycling in Brighton and Hove and was identified as suitable in the city's Local Plan.

"The design will be of a high quality and is vital for developing our kerbside collections and diverting waste away from landfill sites in the area."

Onyx South Downs came under fire from residents in Hove last December for extending the operational hours at its rubbish plant in Leighton Road.

The longer hours were approved after the city council more than doubled its recycling targets from 18,000 tonnes to 40,000 tonnes.

A council spokesman: "The council and the Environment Agency will work with Onyx to ensure conditions are in place that protect public health and well-being and prevent pollution.

"Recycling levels are increasing so we need to develop a waste facility to handle the collection, with a huge positive impact on the environment across all of Brighton and Hove."