Cannock incinerator plan rejected in U-turn

A controversial proposal to build an incinerator in Staffordshire has been scrapped in a dramatic turnaround by planners.

The scheme at Kingswood Lakeside Park near Cannock had been given the go-ahead by Staffordshire County Council in July after a stormy passage through the application process.

But concerns were raised over whether an £80,000-a-year offer by Biffa to fund local community activities may have influenced the decision. It was brought back to the planning committee yesterday where members voted 10- 2 against the scheme.

The incinerator was to form part of a £200 million waste management scheme involving the adjoining Poplars landfill site.