STEVE Gilbert, the prospective MP for St Austell and Newquay, has slammed Cornwall Council for dragging its feet in answering a Freedom Of Information request on the incinerator proposed for St Dennis.

On September 1, Mr Gilbert asked the council for copies of all correspondence and e-mails between SITA and council officers in the period between the application being turned down in March and the appeal being lodged in August.

By law, all requests should be answered within 20 working days but the council has so far used up 42 working days without providing any information.

On October 28, Mr Gilbert was told the council would need another 20 days to get the information.

Mr Gilbert said: "The council's failure to be open and transparent with residents is a cause of serious concern.

"It is totally unacceptable that a request which should take a month to answer looks like it could take more than three.

"It raises serious concerns that the council is dragging its feet to prevent some information getting into the public domain and will lead people to ask what they are trying to hide.

"What I want to know, and what I think a lot of other people want to know, is what was said between the council and SITA after the application was refused by the planning committee and before the appeal was lodged."