A NEW move has been made by the company attempting to tackle Herefordshire's growing waste mountain.

Estech Europe Ltd has sent new documents to Herefordshire Council to revive a flagging application to build a multi-million pound waste treatment plant in Madley.

The Aldridge-based firm was originally given permission to build the recycling plant by south Herefordshire councillors in March 2004. But a High Court judge threw out the plans last February after the campaign group Waste Watchers challenged the council's decision through a judicial review.

Mr Justice Elias ruled that assurances regarding the environmental effects of any waste treatment facility were not given before planning permission was granted. He ordered the council to reconsider their decision.

Last Friday, Estech submitted a Revised Environmental Statement (RES) outlining details of how the proposed recycling centre would work to try and allay the judge's concerns.

Its impact on traffic, highways, air quality, landscape, ecology, noise, archaeology and land contamination were all included in the RES.

Herefordshire councillors will once again decide whether the waste plant will be built.

However, a full report, including officers' recommendations, will have to be written first and made available to the public, who can voice their opinions on Estech's proposals to the council's planning department.

Waste Watchers founder Mike Rogers said his group would be making representations to the council and would soon begin examining the RES to try and prevent the waste plant from being built.

"We spent a year of our lives being worried about this. We tenaciously took part in fund-raising activities to take the council to court and we are not about to let that go now," he said.

"We have 2,000 financial subscribers and following our win in the High Court we do have resources and funds available - we are putting everyone on a war footing and we are gearing up to take this matter seriously."