The council has already paid for the landfill extention space

The council's executive board debated allowing United Mines, near St Day, to stay open because a new extension will not be filled by that cut-off date.

Nearby residents say they want United Mines to close as planned because local roads cannot deal with extra lorries.

The council said no decision had been made and it would discuss it publicly.

Alternative plans

Councillors have also discussed sending more rubbish from the east of the county to fill the hole, and the county council is considering two bids to possibly build incinerators to help deal with the county's waste.

But residents near United Mines said such decisions should have been made earlier so the tip did not have to remain open longer than necessary.

Geoff Nankivell, vice chairman of St Day Parish Council, said: "We were dubious at the original announcement that it was definitely going to shut in 2010.

"Plans for alternative recycling or incineration should have been thought of at least three years ago.

"It's going to take five or six years to get it organised and the council has no idea what to do at the moment."

Adam Paynter, the county council's executive member for Environment and Heritage, said the discussions began because the Environment Agency had not allowed the use of the new extension immediately. That meant, at the present rate of rubbish disposal, it would not be filled by 2010.

He said: "If we don't fill it, it will be costly to the council because we'll have space that we have paid but won't use.

"Nobody wants to live next to it, but to get another landfill in Cornwall would be extremely expensive and all the costs will come back to the council tax payers.