A COUNTY business has invested £3m in a new washing plant which should reduce the need to dispose of waste materials.

Hereford Quarries, a sister company of Wye Valley Group, has unveiled its new construction and demolition waste materials washing plant near Lugg Bridge, just outside Hereford.

The plant will provide a new source of high-quality washed recycled material.

Andrew Howell, from the Wye Valley Group, said: "It is yet another symbol of optimism and commitment to building a better future for our city.

"This facility is an exemplar of sustainability - the plant will be adding value to construction and demolition waste materials, while reducing the burden on existing natural resources by reducing the demand for virgin aggregates.

"The site itself is only one mile out of the city centre, acting like an inner city quarry, reducing the carbon footprint associated with importing quarried materials and also reducing the need to dispose of waste materials to landfill."

Wye Valley Group, headed up by sister and brother, Sue and Andrew Howell, began as their father’s farming, demolition and recycling operation at St Weonards in the 1950s.