Gloucester incinerator: Experts to help with plans

The council hopes plans for the incinerator will be ready by January

Independent planning experts have been appointed to help with plans for an incinerator in Gloucester.

Gloucestershire County Council wants to build a £500m energy from waste plant on the site near junction 12 of the M5.

The Conservative-led authority said it was aware of the "significant public interest" in the Javelin Park scheme.

Opposition parties have failed to overturn a decision to build the plant while 1,000 people have complained about the application.

'Backward step'

The council said it had appointed BPP Consulting to help with the planning process and to "make sure everything is done by the book".

The application, which was submitted by Urbaser Balfour Beatty in the summer, is currently going through the second round of formal consultation.

Liberal Democrat leader at the council Jeremy Hilton said there were other alternatives, while Labour's Steve Lydon said it was a "backward step" as the county tries to increase recycling rates.

It is thought the application will be ready to be considered by the cross-party planning committee in January 2013.