A controversial plan for a new civic tip in the countryside near Billingshurst has been approved.

Critics claimed that an urban or industrial site should be used to help people in Billingshurst dispose of rubbish the binmen will not take, such as garden waste.

But West Sussex County Council maintained that no alternative sites were available.

The tip will be on the western side of the Billingshurst bypass, north of the A272.

Parish councillors have backed the scheme and said they are glad that it is to be well screened. It was also supported by Horsham District Council.

But people with homes near the site claim it cannot be fully disguised and also objected on the grounds of increased traffic, noise and smells.

A report to the planning committee said if there were no alternative sites and a need for the facility, it could be considered an exception to countryside planning policies.

The site will have ten containers with 24 parking bays and a queuing bay.