THE decision to refuse an application for an animal carcass incinerator licence in Astwood Bank was not made by the right people.

Plans for the incinerator, at Popes Lane, were turned down by a specially formed committee of Redditch councillors last year.

But a letter written to the group campaigning against the incinerator has confirmed the original licence application should have been dealt with by the Environment Agency.

The plans were due to go to a public inquiry in July after the applicant appealed to the Secretary of State.

Redditch Council's environmental health manager Steve Webster said: "We're now asking the planning inspectorate what to do. Environment Agency officers have accepted they were wrong and should have dealt with the application."

Mr Webster said he was unsure as to what would happen now and whether or not the inquiry would actually go ahead at all.

A statement from protest group Astwood Bank Against Incinerator said the group believed under Environment Agency legislation, there would be much stricter emission controls.

ABAI is holding a fun day on Monday, May 5, at Astwood Bank First School.