The future of a 60-year-old rubbish dump is to be decided after a major public consultation.

A study will be launched next month into future uses for West Sussex County Council's waste management complex in Halewick Lane, Sompting.

The site, which dates back to 1944, is due to close by the end of December 2006.

Nearby homeowners will be among those consulted before a planning application for a new use is submitted.

Steve Waight, the county's strategic planning and environment executive, said there were no plans to keep the site open.

He added: "We will meet the current planning condition that means the site has to close by the end of December 2006.

"But, if everything falls into place, it could shut even earlier."

The consultation exercise will involve talks with the Site Liaison Group, whose members include residents living near the complex, Adur District Council, Sompting Parish Council, the Sussex Downs Conservation Board and the Environment Agency.

The Sompting complex plays an important role in recycling waste collected by district and borough councils in West Sussex and from the county's network of household waste recycling sites.

There is also a facility there for householders to take items for recycling.

It is operated by Viridor Waste Management Ltd, which earlier this year won a multi-million pound contract from the county council as part of the drive to meet a target of recycling 45 per cent of all household waste by 2016.

The contract will mean many new and upgraded recycling facilities throughout West Sussex. As part of the plans, Viridor has applied to replace the Sompting facilities on alternative sites.

Mr Waight said: "There are a number of potential scenarios for the future of the Sompting site, ranging from some form of new use to removing all the buildings and restoring the complex into the surrounding land."