Campaigners who have been fighting to stop the use of Warboys Landfill Site have been told work is finally coming to an end.

Use of the site for waste carried by large articulated lorries ended in October and the last landfill void is being used by Woodford Recycling Services and local customers only.

Mark Farren, managing director of Woodford, said it was anticipated that all landfill will be completed early in the new year, with capping on gas infrastructure and cell seven beginning in the summer months.

Councillor Peter Bucknell, chairman of Warboys Landfill Liaison Group, said: “I’m extremely pleased to receive this report. After 17 long years we are finally seeing the end of this site, with its closure after restoration.

“In the last planning application we made it very clear that there be no more extensions to the final closing date, and although Woodford’s licence is to the end of 2015, it’s excellent that we can now report closure earlier than that date.”

Cllr Bucknell said that the original planning application regarding the site, which will continue to be used for recycling, stipulated that it was to be filled in within five years.

Since then there have been a number of planning applications to extend its use for landfill.

Betty Ball, of the Warboys Landfill Action Group, said: “We are not happy that we had to have a quarter of a million tonnes of hazardous waste which should never have gone in there, but we are glad that we are not having anymore.

“We shall be relieved when it is all reinstated and wildflowers are growing and hope there will now be no more problems. We shall be quietly watching in case there are.”

Two hectares of wildflower meadow were planted on the site in September which is already beginning to germinate.

Mr Farren said that in time, the entire site would become a colourful wildflower meadow and a great habitat for wildlife.