The plant would have been built next to Brett's existing landfill site

Brett Waste Management has said the move is in the light of a proposed review of the Kent Waste Local Plan, by the county council.

The Solid Waste and Energy Recycling Facility (SWERF) would have taken rubbish from east Kent.

The only other option now being considered is an incinerator at Allington, near Maidstone.

'Clearly disappointed'

Alastair Finlayson, of Brett Waste Management, said: "As a result of the review, we don't currently have a settled policy framework in which the application can be considered.

"We are clearly disappointed, but the county council has a responsibility to develop plans and strategies for the disposal of our waste in the most appropriate way."

Kent County Council's cabinet member for strategic planning, Richard King, said: "The decision seems to be an appropriate one when viewed in the context of the wider strategic review."

Campaigners said that the plant was an incinerator, a claim denied by supporters of the scheme.

The SWERF plant would have dealt with 80,000 tonnes of waste each year, by taking out recyclable materials, sterilising the waste and then applying heat and pressure to turn it into a gas which would then have generated electricity.

The move comes as landfill sites in the region are in ever-shortening supply.

Around 750,000 tonnes of waste are created in Kent each year and the council pays an annual �53m for waste disposal - at current rates, the amount of waste being created is set to double by 2020.