Disputed plans to shut a Staffordshire rubbish tip which sparked a petition of 12,000 protesting residents have been postponed after it emerged that no formal consultation took place before the closure decision was made.

Staffordshire County Council revealed plans to close Burntwood Household Waste Recycling Centre in June as part of a £130,000 a year cost-cutting measure.

The centre was due to close in July, but the council’s corporate review committee yesterday insisted plans are reviewed.

The review will be by a policy advisory group made up of county councillors.

They will investigate further before producing a report for the corporate review committee. A final recommendation will then be made to the Tory cabinet.

Councillors and residents fear fly-tipping will soar if the centre closes. Residents in Cannock fear traffic chaos at the town’s Poplars landfill centre if additional users join regular queues to access the site.

Lichfield District Council opposes the closure as it would coincide with its cost-cutting bin collection merger with Tamworth, causing more inconvenience for householders.

Tory county councillor Robert Marshall, the cabinet member behind the plan, was criticised by the committee for failing to consult the public or the district councils who will ultimately foot the bill for any increases in fly-tipping.

The regeneration and infrastructure scrutiny committee, which reviews Councillor Marshall’s work, was also not consulted.

Councillor Marshall told the corporate review committee that he chose not to ask for the views of relevant parties because he “knew they’d say what they said” earlier.

Councillor Alan White, the committee chairman, said he was “astounded” by the cabinet member’s reason for avoiding consultation which he called “nothing short of an outrage.”

Councillor Marshall said: “I took absolutely no pleasure in recommending to cabinet the decision to close Burntwood, which I felt was justified on the grounds of fairness and affordability.

“Difficult decisions sometimes need to be made, although I now acknowledge this matter could have been handled differently.”