A multi-national recycling company has applied for permission to regenerate a former landfill site near Godmanchester.

Suez Recycling and Recovery UK has applied to Cambridgeshire County Council to import 67,000 cubic metres of soil into the former landfill and clay extraction site, off Cow Lane.

The company says the waste soil will be “uncontaminated” and will help to correct issues of differential settlement at the site, where waste underneath the ground has shifted and caused hollows to form at the edges of the site.

Suez, which generated about £12billion in revenue worldwide in 2014, says the work will take place over a period of four years and will allow the land to be restored to wetland and grassland habitat, which was a requirement of the land being used as landfill.

In plans submitted to the county council, Suez said: “The landfilled area currently supports a good grass sward, but over the past few years differential settlement of the waste within the site has resulted in hollows forming along the flanks of the landfill which now need to be remediated by infilling with soil.

“In addition there is a field to the north-west, historically used for clay storage which still requires soils placement to enable regeneration of scrub habitat and formation of a wetland area in accordance with the approved scheme.

“In practice, the restoration of landfill sites is an essential process to ensure that the land can be put back to active use. Completing the restoration scheme will assist with the management of surface water, ensure that the site blends back into the surrounding landscape and provides biodiversity benefits.”

According to Suez, the site ceased being used for landfill in 2012.

Under the company’s plans, it estimates a requirement of 15 lorry loads of soil a day to meet its four-year target to restore the site.

The company said the soil coming into the site would depends on contracts won in the area but it predicted much of it could come from the works taking place on the A14 upgrade.