Huge dump to be new country park

The largest landfill site in Essex is to be restored as a country park.

The 263-hectare Mucking Landfill site, near East Tilbury, closing in 2010, is to be restored with bridleways, cycle and footpaths and wildlife habitats.

Cory Environmental will carry out the work and then hand the project to Essex Wildlife Trust by the end of 2011.

Trust director John Hall said: "It is a site of great wildlife importance... and will be a flagship project for Thurrock and Thames Gateway".

Rachel Ness, from Cory Environmental, said: "We already work well with Essex Wildlife Trust at Stanford Warren Nature Reserve.

"We are very pleased that Essex Wildlife Trust has the opportunity to manage the site as we know it will be in safe hands".