Hereford politicians have spoken out against a multi-million pound waste treatment plant being built in the Golden Valley.

Liberal Democrat MP Paul Keetch and Tory hopeful Virginia Taylor both want Estech Europe Ltd to locate their pioneering recycling facility in Hereford-shire, but they both oppose the plant being constructed at Stoney Street, Madley.

Having both spent a day talking with bosses from the company, Mr Keetch said: "I was very impressed with the Estech technology and hope the council can work with the company to provide community waste solutions, but not at the expense of Madley residents.

"The village does not have the infrastructure in place to deal with the extra traffic the plant would create and it would not be economically feasible to develop infrastructure for the plant at Madley."

Offering an alternative, Mrs Taylor said: "I still have grave concerns about the ability of the road from Hereford to Madley - and indeed the surrounding B roads - to take the volume of traffic expected to be regenerated.

"That is why I am in favour of the Rotherwas site, in the hope that the relief road will finally become a reality."

However, Mr Keetch contested this idea by saying the traffic would simply be moved into the city.

"I dispute suggestions made by other concerted parties to move the plant to Rotherwas, as this would add to congestion in the city," he declared.

"The site of the recycling plant should be located on or adjacent to a main trunk road to allow more suitable access and ideally have provisions for possible rail access as well.

"As some traffic will come from Worcester, somewhere to the west and north of Hereford seems sensible."