A factory to collect and destroy clinical waste could be built next to dozens of family homes.

But locals fear the site will blight the neighbourhood and the smell and noise created by the centre will be unbearable.

Plans to transform the former Parker Hannifan site on Fort Road industrial estate, Littlehampton, were approved by West Sussex County Council last week even though they are not in line with the local development plan.

Swabs and pads from doctors, dentists and veterinary surgeries, classed as infectious clinical waste, will be collected in sealed bags and sterilised at the centre.

Other materials classed as "hazardous" will be packaged at the site and sent elsewhere to be destroyed.

Contaminated needles and surgical steel instruments will continue to be taken to incineration plants.

Mervyn Luck, of Clun Road, Wick, Littlehampton, fears lives will be put at risk if the plans go ahead. He said: "Is Littlehampton going to be a dumping ground for all sorts of unpleasant business?

"The impact on the local community is going to be big. Contamination from this plant will get into the atmosphere and the soil. We are already in an area of high pollution with a high percentage of asthma sufferers. More traffic will also be put into the estate, an area where residents are already protesting to get traffic removed."

Cliniserve Ltd, the company behind the plan, collects about 700 tonnes of general clinical waste from West Sussex each year and takes it to neighbouring counties to be destroyed.

The county council say there is nowhere which provides this facility and it is needed to improve self-sufficiency. They say fears over noise and pollution are unfounded.

Traffic in and out of the site will be restricted, workers will wear ear defenders and steam will not be released into the atmosphere.

Arun District Council and Littlehampton Town Council have also voiced concerns about the noise and pollution and 28 letters of objection have been received.

A county council spokesman said: "The fear is mainly of body parts and hazardous waste. This will be a clinical waste process, not a hazardous waste process. There will not be any body parts as these are always taken directly to incineration.

"Any materials like broken glass or 'sharps' which have been collected are left in sealed containers and taken to incinerators.

"The development plan is made up of the structure plan, the waste local plan and the Arun district local plan, all of which are available on the web. The waste local plan has not been approved because it has not been to public inquiry. For that reason the application is treated as a departure."

The Secretary of State has 21 days in which to call in the plans after they are received at the Government Office for the South-East.