The man responsible for the county’s waste collection service has stated categorically there are no plans to close a single civic amenity centre in the county.

His declaration comes after a document came to light that suggested Essex County Council was considering closing some sites, including Dovercourt, and replacing them with fewer ‘super dumps’.

But Roger Walters, the county’s cabinet member for waste and recycling, says the document was merely for discussion purposes – a ‘what if and maybe’ report outlining proposals if money were no object, and he said the paperwork was years out of date.