It is hoped to get the waste plant finished by the end of 2006

St Sampson Deputy Ivan Rihoy, who sits on the Island Development Committee, claims planners have been bulldozed into accepting the latest design because of cost.

Deputy Rihoy feels not enough effort has been put into the final design of the plant, which was altered after initial tenders proved to be too high.

He said it was important for people in St Sampson to realise the scale of the building.

Drilling boreholes

He has now called for a meeting to be held by developers to show exactly what they intend.

While he accepted the need for a plant to replace the landfill site at Mont Cuet, Deputy Rihoy said there were better ways of doing it other than simply providing what he described as a "rectangular box".

The firm developing the plant, Lurgi UK Limited, has already started drilling boreholes into the ground that will support the facility at Longue Hougue.

The holes have been commissioned to test the firmness of the ground and to determine the way in which the foundations should be designed and positioned.

The land on which the plant is being built has been reclaimed from the sea relatively recently and sea water enters it at high tide.

However, Lurgi UK does not see this as a serious problem.