PLANS for a recycling centre to be built outside Worcester have been thrown out by Worcestershire County Council because of traffic congestion fears.

The proposal was to build a concrete pad at Millpool Farm Industrial Estate in Grimley to sort and separate different types of recyclable rubbish.

"This is not about the principal of recycling, this is about the planning of this particular proposal," said Chris Carter, strategic planning and environmental policy manager.

Objecting on behalf of the six nearby residents, Mary Deacon said the recycling centre would add more traffic to an already dangerous stretch of road.

"Cars coming from a north direction use that area for overtaking," she said.

"It is a very dangerous stretch of road.

"Nobody would disagree with recycling in principal but there are a lot of problems with this site," said Mrs Deacon.

The applicant, Anthony Dukes, said he had been trying to find a space to recycle for seven years.

"The only way forward is to recycle and I only ask for a chance to do this," he said.

Mr Dukes said the site was totally enclosed by 20ft conifer trees and the nearest house was more than 330 feet away.

"People would not be able to see us or hear us," he said.

Councillor Alwyn Davies said at yesterday's meeting of the planning and regulatory committee that the A443 was already an ''enormous problem'' and traffic to and from the recycling centre would make matters worse.

"The people of Holt are not being nimby-ist about this," he said.

"This committee came to the right decision in 1999 by throwing out the proposal and they should do so again."

However, some councillors said the need for recycling outweighed the problems with the application.

"There is a great need for recycling sites in the Worcester area and the benefits of this proposal outweigh the disadvantages," said Councillor Trevor Porter.

The committee voted by seven votes to three to reject the application because it would be an expansion of industrial use in the countryside and local ''amenities could be adversely affected''.