The operator of the controversial Tovi Eco Park plant in Basildon has entered into administrative receivership, Essex County Council has been informed.

The facility’s operator had already - from Monday, 29 June - suspended all deliveries of waste into the facility.

Since then, instead of first being sent to the Tovi facility for processing, black bag waste has been sent to landfill via waste transfer stations.

Operations teams at the Essex city, district and borough councils which collect the waste from residents’ homes were informed.

They are working to come up with alternative contingency arrangements for waste disposal.

The decision that the operator of the plant, currently in its testing phase, should be placed in administrative receivership was taken by the secured creditors of UBB Waste (Essex) Limited.

Essex County Council is hoping to open talks with the administrative receivers.

Any remaining waste in the facility will be taken to landfill.

Simon Walsh, Essex County Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change Action, said: “We would like to reassure residents that they should see no difference in how their bins are collected as a result of this development.

"Waste will continue to be collected by their local councils and disposed of by the County Council.”

The facility is wholly owned and operated by UBB Waste (Essex) Limited.

Essex County Council only pays for waste processed through the plant and has not spent any money on the construction of the facility or the equipment contained within.