A DECISION on whether to build a half a billion pound incinerator at Javelin Park has been delayed for a third time.

The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Eric Pickles was due to release a decision on whether to uphold Urbaser Balfour Beatty’s appeal by Monday, December 22 – after delaying the decision twice already.

However, a spokesman for the department has confirmed that a decision will not be announced today or this week but the application is ‘actively being progressed’.

She added that there is currently no date for when the decision will be announced.

One man left particularly irritated by delays to the decision is Stroud MP Neil Carmichael.

He said: “I am extremely frustrated by the continuing delays in the decision on this application and will be urging the Secretary of State again to decide this matter as soon as possible.”

Gloucestershire County Council's planning committee threw out plans to build a £500 million incinerator at Javelin Park in March last year.

UBB then lodged an appeal against the decision leaving it in the hands of Mr Pickles.

Cllr Ray Theodoulou, cabinet member responsible for waste at GCC, said: “We are clearly very frustrated by this further delay, however, we appreciate the Secretary of State is keen to make the right decision on such an important issue.

“If approved, the facility will make an important change in the way that Gloucestershire deals with the household waste of its 600,000 residents, diverting over 92 per cent of our waste from landfill.

"It will make a significant impact on tackling climate change by removing 40,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide and save local people more than £150million over the next 25 years."