West Sussex waste planners have been sent back to the drawing board after more than 3,500 people had their say on the future of rubbish disposal.

The First Deposit Draft for West Sussex was due to be published in the autumn, but is now rescheduled for the spring while responses are looked at by the Cabinet of the county council.

After the Second Deposit Draft is drawn up the plan could then go before a Government Inspector, with the plan only being adopted in spring 2004.

The plan currently features a strategy, suggested policies and 48 potential waste sites, including transfer sites, composting sites and household waste sites across the county.

The five sites where incinerators, known as waste to energy plants, could be sited, are Portfield, north of the railway line at Drayton near Chichester; Wakehams Farm, Crawley; the former cement works at Upper Beeding north of Shoreham; the Amblon Brickworks at Warnham, near Horsham; and the sub-station off Cowfold Road in Bolney.

Protesters are campaigning against the site at the former cement works saying it should be turned into houses, a hotel or petrol station.

Most of the county's waste is currently being put into landfill sites, but they only have seven years left before they are full.

Mark Hammond, director for Environment and Development, said: "When all the comments have been thoroughly examined we will draw up a list of potential sites which could be different from the present 48.

"Don't forget we originally started with a list of 352 sites. The whole process may take another three years. It is not going to happen overnight. No one need worry that key decisions by members will be taken immediately.

"We need everyone's help in shaping the plan to provide realistic and acceptable solutions for the future."

Geoff Miles, environmental consultant for the Green Party in West Sussex, said: "There's nothing good about the plan at all. It's an accountant's dream, but it will all end in another foot-and-mouth nightmare and we are just sleepwalking into it.

"Basically I'm against incineration on two grounds. Firstly we are chucking away materials which will be lost forever and secondly there are unknown health problems which the Environment Agency has admitted may exist.

"They're going in entirely the wrong direction, putting all their faith in incineration with very small amounts for recycling. Their plan is completely wrong."