A FORMER recycling centre on the edge of a Somerset beauty spot will be sold off by the end of this year.

The Somerset Waste Partnership (SWP) used to manage the waste transfer station and recycling centre on Chaffcombe Lane, on the northern side of Chard Reservoir.

The site closed in 2009, with recycling operations moving to the new centre at the end of Beeching Close, around one mile away.

Viridor, the company which currently owns the site, has confirmed that it intends to sell the site by the end of 2018.

A spokeswoman said: “The former Chard recycling site is no longer in use and it is our intention to sell the site this year.”

The company has not indicated how the site could be redeveloped, or what sort of company could take it over.

The site is less than 200 yards from one of the main car park for the reservoir, which is popular with anglers.

The reservoir itself has been owned and managed by South Somerset District Council since 1990.

The Chard site is not the only former recycling centre lying disused across Somerset.

The SWP closed its centres at Coleford and Middlezoy in April 2014, citing low demand and the need to cut costs.

A spokesman said: “Coleford and Middlezoy sites were closed from April 1, 2014 as part of our required budget reduction and wider reorganisation of all sites, including extending the hours of the ‘big five’ sites (Bridgwater, Frome, Minehead, Taunton and Yeovil) to 8am-4pm.

“Ahead of their closures, Coleford and Middlezoy had less than 2 per cent of all site visits and dipped to around one visitor an hour.”

Both the Middlezoy and Coleford sites were owned by Somerset County Council at the time of their closure.

The SWP has confirmed that both sites are “no longer part of our operations”, but could provide no details over any proposals for their future use.