COUNCILLORS who will decide whether to give a controversial animal waste incinerator plant the go-ahead are to visit a similar plant in the North East before making up their minds.

Members of the development control committee of Lancashire County Council deferred decision on the plan at the former Hapton Valley Colliery in July until they had visited the site.

That visit took place on October 24, and councillors met representatives of the developer, Enviro Skips, and also nearby businesses and residents fighting the scheme.

A report to the committee says that one of the main issues raised by the proposed development was fears that there would be a loss of amenity due to poor air quality and odours from the incinerator.

During the site visit, the report adds, councillors expressed an interest in visiting an operational incinerator of a similar type.

A spokesman for Lancashire County Council said: "There are no comparable incinerators in the North West. The closest is at Bishop Auckland in County Durham.

"The manufacturer of the incinerators at this site has confirmed their willingness to host a visit.

"A site visit would assist in gaining a better understanding of the potential impacts of incinerators of this types, both in relation to this application and future planning applications."

Enviro Skips owns the site in Hapton and uses it as a waste transfer station and scrapyard.

Surrounding land includes homes, industrial units at the Network 65 industrial estate, and a crematorium.

The incinerator would burn up animal waste such as body parts, guts, offal and blood from abattoirs and meat processing plants across East Lancashire.

It would operate 24 hours a day, although delivery hours would be restricted to between 7am and 6pm.