Villagers are preparing for a fresh battle after a waste firm appealed against a decision to block plans for a waste incinerator.

Viridor is arguing Oxfordshire county councillors were wrong when they refused planning permission for the proposed £100m incinerator at Ardley Fields, near Bicester.

The plant, chosen by the county council’s cabinet as its preferred scheme to deal with non-recycable waste for the future, would produce electricity by burning up to 300,000 tonnes of waste a year.

But the same organisation’s planning committee members rejected the scheme in October, saying the plant would not fit in with Cherwell District Council’s local plan.

Rival plans by the Waste Recycling Group for an incinerator at Sutton Courtenay were also rejected on similar grounds. It is not known whether that firm also plans to appeal.

Viridor’s project manager Robert Ryan said it had appealed on the grounds the facility was an “essential need” in Oxfordshire to reduce the amount of rubbish going to landfill.

A date has not yet been set for the appeal, or whether it will be a full public hearing.

Ardley Against the Incinerator chairman Jonathan O’Neill said: “We knew this was going to happen. We now need to wait for the appeal inspector to say what the appeal process is going to be, if they are going to have a hearing or take written submissions.

“We know people worked exceptionally hard in round one and we are going to be asking people to work exceptionally hard in round two. Just because they are appealing, we are not going to roll over.”

Ardley with Fewcott Parish Council chairman Brian Steventon said: “Clearly, we shall be making representations, but how that will be handled will depend entirely on the inspector. This will be round two of the battle.”

Last year, Viridor was chosen as the county council’s preferred bidder to provide an energy from waste plant in the county.

Its planning committee went against officer recommendations to throw out the proposals at Ardley and Sutton Courtenay.

Mr Ryan said: “The grounds we are appealing is that there is a need for this facility in Oxfordshire. The reasons for the refusal were too narrow and based on the local council’s countryside policy. But it didn’t take into account the broader national and regional policy on waste. The need is paramount.”

A county council spokesman said: “The council remains in a procurement process for an energy from waste incinerator as an alternative to landfill. Viridor is the preferred bidder.”