Talks have been going on for a number of weeks behind the scenes over the Willows site at Saddlebow.

County councillors voted to pull the plug on the controversial burner on April 7, after officials said it no longer represented value for money.

But Communities Secretary Eric Pickles could still, in theory, award planning permission for an incinerator to be built on the site, when he has considered the findings of a public inquiry held into the scheme last year.

West Norfolk council leader Nick Daubney said: 'We would all feel better if it was in local ownership and local people had a say over what happened to that land.

'We've been talking to them for some weeks about this. We've had some quite good conversations with them.'

The site, near the Norfolk Arena and Palm Paper, is believed to be worth around £2m. Mr Daubney said West Norfolk was proposing to call in the district valuer to provide a valuation, which would then become the price.

Today a county council spokesman said: 'We understand the borough council is interested in the land and we would be interested to receive an offer from them - or any potential purchaser - and would give it full and proper consideration.'