Assurances have been given that the site of a failed bid for an incinerator in King's Lynn will not be sold off before a review is undertaken.

Norfolk county councillors Brian Long and Alexandra Kemp pressed council leader Cliff Jordan at a full council meeting today (Monday, July 24) for a guarantee that the Willows, near the A47 in Saddlebow, would not be sold off early.

Mr Jordan it would not be sold, and Miss Kemp said she had also been assured by council officers the site was safe for now.

She said: 'This site is really important to the future of King's Lynn.

'We can't have it sold while it's still in the plan.

'No guarantees could be given by a company that actually bought it that they could do something that was acceptable to the people of Lynn. 'It's one of the key issues in West Norfolk.'

Miss Kemp, who represents South Lynn, said the council had to be 'held to the flames' to make sure it kept its word over the site.

She said: 'The people of King's Lynn want to see a proper economic purpose for it and possibility some more small business units.

'They don't want it to be sold to large companies where the end purpose would be out of the control of the council itself.'

Cory Wheelabrator withdrew its plans to build a burner at the Willows, near the A47 in Saddlebow, in 2015.

It followed five years of angry protest and cost Norfolk County Council £33m in compensation.

READ MORE: Fears King's Lynn incinerator site could be sold to 'multi-national'