North Yorkshire County Council confirmed this week it is looking at two sites in the area surrounding the road, with a view to getting planning consent by the end of the year.

Council officer Ian Fielding said the local authority is currently in talks with landowners, "and discussions are progressing."
"The locations are consistent with the area we've looked at before," he said.

"We're committed to developing a site and the funding remains in place.

"We're hopeful of getting a planning application approved by the end of this calendar year."

The council withdrew its planning application for a recycling site next to the Army Foundation College last August, amid security concerns.

Mr Fielding said the two new sites were further away from the college, adding that he believed both mooted locations were suitable and would hopefully meet with widespread approval.

Harrogate's existing recycling depot, the Stonefall site on Wetherby Road, accepts most materials with the exception of mixed plastics, taking over 22,000 tonnes of recyclables each year.