The Secretary of State is to make the final ruling on plans for a controversial waste transfer station in Amersham, after the proposals were approved by council bosses.

Planning committee members at Buckinghamshire County Council voted in favour of approving the latest proposals on Wednesday.

The revised plans - which came after the original application was turned down in 2012 - were given the go ahead by five votes to two.

The transfer station, which would replace a recycling plant in London Road East, will receive household and some commercial and industrial waste collected in the Chiltern District and part of the South Bucks District.

It would then be transferred onto larger vehicles and transported to the 'Energy from Waste' incinerator plant at Greatmoor in the north of the county, which is currently under construction.

Campaigners had protested about the development, which is on green belt land, with Chiltern District Council opposing the application last year after claiming there were no special circumstances to allow the proposals to be given the thumbs up.

Committee members were told FCC Environment, which submitted the application, had looked at 100 other sites in Bucks. Of those, four were put forward as an alternative site for the facility - all of which are also on green belt land.

Although members have recommended consent for the plans, the council has to wait for final approval from the Secretary of State for Planning before building work can start.