Veolia's Alton incinerator plan submitted

Protestor Mark Weldon said the proposed incinerator would ruin the rural landscape

A waste firm has said it has submitted a planning application for the UK's "most efficient" waste-to-energy plant.

Veolia UK intends to process 330,000 tonnes of waste a year at a redeveloped facility near Alton, Hampshire.

It said the scheme would avoid waste being disposed of in landfill or exported out of the county to other parts of the UK or overseas.

Protestors say the "disproportionately large" incinerator plan is out of keeping with the rural landscape.

The new facility would have two 80m (260ft) chimneys, protestors said

Mark Weldon, from the No Wey Incinerator campaign, said the plan involved a 40m-high building with two 80m (260ft) chimneys.

He said: "This is completely the wrong setting."

"We want to keep the Wey Valley rural and maintain its beauty," he continued.

Campaigners have so far raised more than £36,000 to pay for consultants to challenge the scheme, he said.

Veolia UK said its application had been delivered but not yet validated by Hampshire County Council.

Veolia UK said it would redevelop its existing Alton Materials Recovery Facility

Chief technology officer Richard Kirkman said: "About 400,000 tonnes of residual non-recyclable waste is either going to landfill or being exported out of county or in some cases out of the country.

"This facility will allow Hampshire to lead the way in waste management in the world.

"It will be more energy-efficient than any other facility in the UK with 30% more energy back for the same amount of waste and double the amount of metal recycled, coming out of the ash."

He said the new Energy Recovery Facility, on the A31 at Upper Froyle, would be capable of generating 30 MW of energy, enough to power 75,000 homes.

In February, US firm Wheelabrator withdrew plans for an incinerator near Andover, Hampshire, after protesters described the scheme as "monstrous".