A DECISION by the Government not to hold a public inquiry into controversial plans to build a recycling centre near Worcester has been met with dismay.

Mid-Worcestershire MP Peter Luff said he was disappointed that the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Ruth Kelly, had decided not to "call in" Mercia Waste Management's application to build a centre in Woodbury Lane, Norton.

Mr Luff wrote to Ms Kelly requesting she look into the application, claiming residents felt the process had been rushed and they had not been properly consulted.

Jjunior minister Yvette Cooper replied, saying that Ms Kelly was very selective in choosing which planning applications to call in "She will, in general, only take this step if planning issues of more than local importance are involved," she wrote.

"The application is for Worcestershire County Council to determine on the first instance as the local planning authority."

Mr Luff said: "This response, although it falls short of my hopes, is what I feared. The Government is reluctant to intervene in issues unless they raise issues of national significance.

"I had hoped the obvious conflict of interest between the council as waste authority and planning authority might have led her to a different conclusion.

"The most optimistic interpretation is that the Minister has not ruled out further action - although I suspect this is unlikely."

He said Worcestershire County Council was in the "impossible position" of needing a recycling centre and being able, on its own, to grant permission for it.

"Given the huge implications for my constituents, especially the impact of the traffic it will generate, this is not democratically acceptable," he added.

Ken Munn, chairman of the action group fighting the application said: "It's disappointing - but not unexpected. She obviously doesn't understand all of the issues."

Chairman of Worcestershire County Council's planning and regulatory committee councillor Bob Bullock said: "We are operating within the Government's guidelines. It is for the planning committee to decide when they meet."

The application was due to be considered last week, but as reported in the Worcester News, the council decided to delay the process because it felt not all the necessary consultation responses had been received.

The application is now due to be heard on Tuesday, January 30.