A new recycling building may be built at a yard to the south of Ipswich so the process does not have to take place in the open air.

Skip hire and recycling business Cooks WasteKare Limited has applied to improve its recycling facility based in Raeburn Road.

The 5,500 square metre site in Ipswich is on industrial land and has operated as a waste recycling and transfer station facility since 1992.

The plans would improve working conditions of employees who work there, although no new site employment will be created.

It manages non-hazardous wastes from household, commercial and industrial properties, and maximum annual operational through-put of 74,999 tonnes.

The changes would include a new building as skips currently tip materials onto the site surface in the open air, which can degrade the materials, and the building would allow this to take place under cover.

An existing building to the north of the site, used as a warehouse and maintenance building and no longer needed, would have to be demolished to accommodate the new building.

The site has a planning history dating back to 1970 when it was used for sale of accessories to the motor trade and radiator repair workshop.

The site became a road haulage depot in 1984 and became with maintenance workshop and in 1992, and later started to be used as a waste transfer station. In 2004, an external recycling plant was installed.

As well as this, there are plans for a new weighbridge, on-site car parking spaces would also be moved, and a new covered bicycle shelter and electric vehicle charging point be provided, as well as two portacabins replaced with a more modern portacabin for the business' office.

The application was made to Suffolk County Council and validated on April 16.

A decision on the plans is expected in due course.