SWALE councillors could send a resounding ‘no’ to Kent County Council tomorrow night on plans to turn Norwood Quarry on Sheppey into a toxic dump.

Residents in Brambledown and the rest of the island are optimistic the borough council will object to Waste Recycling Group’s plans for the site off Lower Road.

Ultimately county councillors will decide, but a report to Swale’s planning committee recommends the application to transport toxic ash from the Allington incinerator to be buried at the quarry be turned down.

Worried Islanders have fired off letters of objection to the county council, which has also met fierce opposition from the Kent Against Toxic Tipping (Swale), a residents’ group formed to fight the plans.

Minster and Warden parish councils and the Campaign to Protect Rural England have also objected, citing health and transport concerns.

WRG has said the maximum number of traffic movements would be 500 a day, but expect it would remain at an average of 200.

Cllr John Stanford, from Brambledown, is a member of the planning committee but cannot speak at tonight’s meeting because of his personal interest.

He runs an organic smallholding, nature reserve and bed and breakfast business in Brambledown and later this year will be opening Sheppey’s first ecology centre.

Cllr Stanford said: "Having looked carefully at the way in which the applicants intend to manage the hazardous waste on site, I share the concerns expressed by Swale’s Air Pollution Control manager about the possibility of wind-blown dust polluting the surrounding area.

"People like myself, living and working locally, feel that our quality of life could be compromised by this proposal.

"Additionally it flies in the face of all the principles of sustainability to transport waste from all corners of the South East to one single landfill.

"It’s unfair to the people of Sheppey to require them to take such a disproportionate amount of the region’s rubbish."

Dawn Payne, the press officer for Kent Against Toxic Tipping (Swale), said the group is still concerned with the implications of dumping toxic waste on Sheppey.

This is despite claims from Waste Recycling’s Paul Green last week that there would be no threat to local people.

She said: "This is a real threat to this island and we have three schools close by. We don’t want to come across as ‘nimby’ but we have done our bit and performed above and beyond our duty."

The group’s main concern is that they still believe the wetted ash would cause a health risk, despite Waste Recycling’s assurances last week that it would not.

So far the group has a 2,000 signature petition opposing the toxic dump and residents have sent hundreds of letters to Kent County Council opposing the planning application.