Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood AM visited Barry last week to listen to concerns about the Barry incinerator scheme.

She said: “I met with local residents who expressed their concerns about the scheme.

"They relayed to me their fears about a site containing hundreds of tonnes of waste wood located so close to existing housing in Barry, and to new and planned developments on the Waterfront.”

Vale-based South Wales Central Welsh Conservative AM, Andrew RT Davies said he would be visiting Barry to meet residents.

He said: “Public opinion on the Barry incinerator is understandably very strong, and it is my view that we need more time to properly assess the data as these plans will affect thousands of people.

“I have made my opposition to the proposals clear, but I do think that it would be helpful if the deadline on the consultation period were extended until at least the summer to enable the evidence to be properly assessed.”

Labour Vale councillor Lis Burnett added: “I am unable to comment as deputy leader or cabinet member as we are in a pre-election period. As an individual, I fully support my local Labour colleagues who have fought against this plant over the past seven years. Following the Planning Inspector's decision to overturn the council's refusal of the initial planning application the opportunity to challenge the construction of the facility through the planning process was no longer open to us. I will be making a personal response to the current consultation being run by Natural Resources Wales opposing the grant of an environmental licence to the gasification plant.”