A DECISION about a new incinerator in Worcestershire could be made behind closed doors, Mid-Worcestershire MP Peter Luff has claimed.

He fears plans for an incinerator at British Sugar's factory at Kidderminster could be shelved.

Mr Luff thinks British Sugar may develop the land for houses and that a proposed incinerator could be sited near the Hill and Moor landfill site, near Pershore, or at Hartlebury.

He told Parliament he was worried new regulations meant planning authorities now need only make "key decisions" in public.

"The incinerator decision will not constitute a key decision, and meetings about it will be held in private," claimed Mr Luff.

But the Local Government Minister, Hilary Armstrong, said key decisions were ones that "would involve significant expenditure of taxpayers' money or otherwise have an impact on the local community".

British Sugar today admitted the future of the Kidderminster factory land was "uncertain", but said there was no reason why the incinerator plans should be affected.

Severn Waste Services, which has applied to construct the incinerator, was unavailable to comment.