Protestors trying to stop a refuse station being built near their homes suffered a setback yesterday when a bat expert ruled against them.

Noel Jackson, a member of the Durham Bat Group, inspected a wood at Stainton Grove, near Barnard Castle, County Durham, and found no trace of a roost used by the protected species.

If he had found one, it might have stoppedDurham County Council's plans to fell the trees and put up a centre to deal with all of Teesdale's rubbish.

Mr Jackson accepted the evidence of a video film shot by Rebecca Renton, 20, showing bats flying in and out of the wood but said this did not mean they roosted there.

However, the protestors, led by former soldier Tony Cooke, won a further delay to the felling when they attended a meeting at Barnard Castle police station yesterday afternoon.

It was chaired by Chief Inspector Jane Spraggon, head of the Wear and Tees division, and attended by representatives from the county council, its waste management company, the Environment Agency and Teesdale Council.

Sergeant Bob Danby reported on a demonstration by residents the previous day when felling was due to start.

Tony Cooke said that the waste station would be out of place near the 130 homes at Stainton Grove. He said it would create a health hazard and deprive many children of their safe play area.

All the delegates agreed to go back to their own offices and consider all the points made before holding another joint meeting later in the week.

It was agreed that no felling would take place until after that meeting.

Chief Insp Spraggon later said: "I would not call it a friendly meeting, but there was no aggression and all sides put their points of view sensibly as well as forcefully."

Mr Cooke said he hoped county officials would "see sense" and move the scheme to a more suitable location, even though planning consent has already been given.

An estimated 20 trucks and 96 cars will use the site each day

THE waste transfer and upgraded public disposal facility is to be located adjacent to Stainton Grove industrial estate, to the north-east of Barnard Castle.

The development, which is on a greenfield site, will span approximately 3,360 sq m.

It is located east of Stainton Grove residential estate. The nearest homes are 450ft away.

A total of 500 to 800 trees will have to be felled to make way for the facility.

The site will be split into two sections, one will house a waste transfer station and the other a recycling centre.

It will have one entrance point that people will be able to access from Stainton Grove industrial estate.

A green building will hold the waste transfer station on the western side of the site. It will be surrounded by security fencing with night lighting.

The eastern site, covering approximately 1,260 sq m, will function as a waste recycling centre with skips and recycling igloos and will be accessible to the public. It will be open during daylight hours, up to 12 hours a day, seven days a week.

Low-sided containers will be put up near skips. Igloos will be placed at the centre to recycle cans, glass bottles, paper and textiles. Skips for green waste, such as soil, may also be installed.

An office, 10m by 3m, will be used by staff and will be sited north of the transfer building.

A total of 1,950 cubic metres of waste will be deposited at the facility per year.

It is expected that about 20 HGV trucks will visit the transfer station and 96 cars will visited the recycling station per day.

Hours of operation transfer station - 8am to 4pm Monday to Friday 8am to noon Saturday

Hours of operation recycling centre - 8am to 8pm every day

Waste transfer station vehicle, estimated 17 to 20 HGVs a day.

Recycling site (open to public) estimated 58 - 96 vehicles per day.