A CONTROVERSIAL plan to build an incinerator to burn Cornwall's waste has been recommended for refusal by council planning officers.

The incinerator proposed for St Dennis by waste management company SITA has sparked widespread protest among people who have raised health fears and concerns about its impact on the environment.

Restormel borough councillors will hold a meeting to consider the application at 5pm, on Tuesday, although the final decision will lay with Cornwall County Council or the Government.

Restormel planning experts have recommended the incinerator application be refused planning permission on the following grounds:

● The site selection process failed to consider more appropriate sites that are closer to significant cities or towns;

● The incinerator plan would harm the countryside through the loss of agricultural land and hedgerows;

● The large size of the proposed two main buildings and chimney would blot the landscape and harm the look of St Dennis and Treviscoe.

Fred Greenslade chairman of St Dennis Parish Council and a Restormel borough councillor, said: “I am absolutely delighted and thrilled and I hope Restormel Borough Council will uphold the recommendation of their officers.

“I am obviously pleased that the recommendation for refusal has been made and I totally support it.”

SITA's planning application asks for permission to create an “energy from waste plant known as the Cornwall Energy Recovery Centre”.

The facility would also include a chimney stack, administrative and visitors' centre, vehicle refuelling area, cooling units, a security fence and pipe-work for heat transfer to existing China clay dryers.

The proposed site is broken into three parts.

It would be made up of an area which would be occupied by the incinerator, an access road and an area for the pipe-work.