The council's planning and regulatory committee voted against plans for the new incinerator and MRF by 11 votes to two at a meeting earlier this month.
But the council’s environmental services director Richard Wigginton who is head of waste services said that he would encourage Severn Waste Services to do “whatever it can to deliver the contract”.
He added: “I’d expect the company to make all reasonable endeavours to pursue the deliverables in the contract.”
Severn Waste Services has not confirmed that it will appeal to Environment Secretary John Prescott. But the 25-year contract, agreed last year, is worth 500 million and Severn Waste services must deliver an integrated waste management programme for Worcestershire and Herefordshire.
Below average
A spokeswoman for Severn Waste Services said that a decision about the appeal has yet to be made. She added: “Small scale incineration should be considered, the proposal was for a 150,000 tonnes plant which is below average in size. An independent report by consultancy group Entec concluded that the proposal should go ahead and saw no problem with the location.”
Kevin Galloway, of Worcestershire County Council, said: “Of the 350,000 tonnes of rubbish produced each of year in the area 200,000 tonnes are re-used and recycled, but for the rest there is no choice but to burn in it and turn waste into energy.”
Planning permission was refused on the grounds of visual amenity, effect on nature and canal conservation and loss of playing fields and public concern.
The decision was backed by Friends of the Earth and Stop Kidderminster Incinerator (SKI) campaigners. “We’ll continue to fight if they appeal,” said SKI spokeswoman Clare Cassidy.
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