Waste disposal rates are to increase next month to help cover the costs of the Tynes Bay developments.

Truckers will have to pay more to dispose of commercial waste from April 1.

The weekday rate is $80 per tonne or $95 on Saturdays. The Ministry of Works and Engineering has set a minimum charge of $12 per load.

A spokesman said: "These increases are necessary to support the ongoing cost of waste disposal operations at the Tynes Bay Waste-to-Energy Facility and to ensure the long term sustainability of the plant."

Among the modernisation of the facility, a third incinerator is to be added to meet a projected two percent increase in waste per annum.

A new ash processing plant is also to be built.