The battle against plans for a waste incinerator in South Staffordshire gathered momentum today, after it was revealed that 500 people are now objecting and a full public inquiry has been demanded.

More than 80 people attended a meeting held at Essington Community Centre last night to voice their concerns about the proposals for the incinerator. Black Country Reclamation wants to put the incinerator on the site of the former Essington Brickworks in Hobnock Road.

It already has permission to create a brick and tile-making factory on the site.

The incinerator would burn 300,000 tons of wood and rotten food a year.

Residents at last night’s meeting feared that the plan would bring up to 1,000 lorries a year to the village.

They also raised concerns about environmental issues, the future expansion of the site and the health implications for villagers.

Essington Parish Council chairman Councillor David Clifft, who chaired the meeting, said he had written to South Staffordshire MP Patrick Cormack and Communities and Local Government Secretary Hazel Blears, demanding a full public inquiry.

He told the meeting that 500 letters of objection had been sent to the district council and would be passed on to the Government but urged people to do more.

“This is one of the biggest issues we have ever had come our way in Essington,” he said.

“Plans like this only grow, and I can’t see it stopping at just one incinerator.”

Councillor Clifft said he believed that Staffordshire County Council would get an environmental grant of about £40million from the Government if the proposals went ahead.

Plans for the incinerator were submitted in February, and a government inspector is now set to decide on the scheme after council bosses failed to agree within the statutory eight weeks.

Essington resident Martin Bradley, a 42-year-old teacher, said he was concerned about the environmental impact and the knock-on health effects for villagers.

He said it would be a blight on the area.

Parish councillor Sylvia Wright said: “Any development for the village should enhance it rather than destroy it.”