PLANS to store 9,000 fridges in a secret York location for the next 12 months have been announced by council leaders.

The proposals were made after new European laws made it necessary to remove environmentally-damaging chloro-fluorocarbons before disposing of fridges.

But no company in this country has yet been found who can carry out the work.

City of York Council is anticipating that in the York area 9,000 redundant fridges will have to be kept somewhere before the necessary work can be done.

Councillor Derek Smallwood, the council's executive member for the environment, told last night's full council meeting: "There isn't a company yet that can deal with them, so we need to store them for something like 12 months. We are anticipating about 9,000 fridges."

Liberal Democrat leader Steve Galloway asked him where the fridges would be stored. He said: "The prospect of siting 9,000 fridges somewhere is inevitably going to be a blot on somebody's landscape."

But Coun Smallwood said prospective sites could not be revealed.

He said: "It is confidential information because negotiations are ongoing between storers of the fridges and this authority."

The discussion was in response to a question from Coun Galloway which asked for agreement that the Government should fund an estimated £288,000 fee for disposing of the fridges.

A Government grant only gives £17,000.

The full council meeting also decided that Labour councillor David Horton would take over the reins of Lord Mayor when Coun Irene Waudby ends her term of office in May.

Coun Horton, who represents Acomb and has been a councillor for 16 years, said: "I am looking forward to it with a great deal of anticipation and an element of trepidation."

He announced that Coun Martin Brumby would be his Sheriff.

The meeting also made history by allowing members of the public to address councillors for the first time at a full meeting.

Gordon Campbell Thomas, co-ordinator of St Nicholas Fields nature reserve and director of York Sustainable Development Ltd, congratulated the council on its work on a sustainable housing project at St Nicholas Court, off Hull Road, which is due to start this year.

He was followed by Roger McBroom, who spoke about road safety measures and the need for education rather than speed controls to cut accident numbers.

Both speakers registered to speak following a motion by Conservative leader John Galvin. The ability to address councillors is seen as a significant step towards greater public accountability.

Updated: 10:50 Wednesday, January 09, 2002