The firm running a waste plant in Costessey wants to use the site to produce and store fuel for incinerators.

FCC Environment who run the waste transfer station in Longwater Lane Business Park want to change the conditions of their planning permission to store and transport a material called refuse-derived fuel (RDF) which will then be sent to incinerators.

Last month the firm was re-branded FCC from WRG - the company behind a bid for an incinerator in Costessey in 2005 which was defeated by strong public opposition.

The defeat lead to Norfolk County Council looking at a new site for an incinerator at Saddlebow near King's Lynn.

But FCC said yesterday that the application to Norfolk County Council was not linked to plans for the controversial development at Saddlebow.

In a letter to South Norfolk Council and Costessey Parish Council, FCC said they wanted to start RDF production as soon as possible and it would mean less waste would go to landfill.

The letter stated there would be no more traffic at the site and the amount of waste they took into the plant would stay the same.

A spokesman for FCC said: 'The RDF produced will be sent for recovery at Energy from Waste (EfW) plants in Europe and the UK where spare capacity is available.

'There is currently no intention to supply RDF to Norfolk's King's Lynn EfW plant.

'The new plant in the building will simply allow us to maximise the amount of value we can derive from the commercial and industrial waste to help meet waste recycling and recovery targets.'

But Costessey county councillor Tim East is opposing the application amid fears over RDF.

He said: 'There should be concern. This is an inappropriate activity in the middle of a sensitive river valley.

'The site, lying within the Southern Bypass Protection Zone, surrounded by a large housing and retail development and within the River Tud valley, will create the potential for pollutants to contaminate the area.'

The application will be discussed at the next Costessey Parish Council meeting on Tuesday June 12 at 7pm in the Costessey Centre.

Do you have a story about Costessey for the Evening News? Contact reporter Tom Bristow on 01603772313 or email tom.bristow@archant.co.uk.