A recycling company has submitted its plans to build a waste-fired energy plant in Hallen.

A rail siding and new roads would be included in the scheme by Sita UK.

The firm has been working on its proposals since announcing in June that it wanted to set up an operation on Severnside.

It held a number of public events to show its plans ahead of formally putting in its application – the most recent session was earlier this month.

The company now wants residents to provide feedback directly to South Gloucestershire Council.

Gareth Phillips, Sita's planning and property manager, said: "Over the course of the three events held recently, 56 people attended to view our proposals in more detail and ask questions of the project team.

"This round of exhibitions followed a previous series of consultation events, which took place during the summer and once again the level of support was felt to be high."

Under the multi-million pound proposal, the energy recovery centre would be built on former ICI land next to the Seabank power station on Severn Road, between Avonmouth and Severn Beach.

It would create electricity by burning up to 400,000 tonnes of commercial and industrial waste a year, enough to power 50,000 homes.

The kind of material to be incinerated includes mixed packaging and plastics from shops, offices and factories, that would otherwise go into landfill sites because it cannot be recycled.

Sita aims to take the waste from businesses, which are under increasing pressure to reduce their rubbish. The firm has plants in other parts of the country, but, if approved, the Hallen complex would be its first in the South West.

Under the scheme, new roads would be built around the periphery of the site, with a new roundabout on the main Severn Road.

Sita has right of access to the rail sidings at the former ICI Severnside plant and it hopes to use trains to carry waste in an effort to reduce the amount of material arriving by road.

The controlled burning of waste at the centre would produce steam to drive a turbine and generate electricity.

If South Gloucestershire Council approves the scheme, it would take three years to build the plant, during which time about 200 people would be employed on the site. Between 50 and 60 full-time jobs would also be created.

Exhibition materials are available at www.severnside–consultation.co.uk, or contact Sita on 0845 543 2123.

OTHER POWER PLANTS IN THE PIPELINE:

- Viridor, one of Britain's biggest waste management companies, has submitted plans for a £180m privately-run recycling complex on the northern part of the former Sevalco site.

- A Salisbury-based firm called W4B Bristol Ltd wants to build a £70m biofuel power station on the southern part of the former Sevalco site off Severn Road.

- Dorset-based New Earth Solutions Group Ltd has permission to build a recycling plant at the former Britannia Zinc works in Kings Weston Lane.

- New Earth Solutions also has permission for a treatment centre at Willow Farm, Hallen, to handle 30,000 tonnes of Bristol's organic waste each year.

- City councillors supported a £200m biomass plant north of St Andrew's Road railway station, which would use mostly wood products to produce electricity to supply a city nearly half the size of Bristol.