Plans to build a controversial multi-million pound incinerator in Peterhead have been thrown out by councillors.

Dozens gathered outside Aberdeenshire Council offices on Thursday morning ahead of a full meeting of the local authority.

However councillors voted against approving permission for Buchan CHP’s proposed waste-to-energy facility.

The scheme has already seen angry protests from locals who claim emissions from the plant, which will burn more than 100,000 tonnes of waste a year, could damage their health.

Over 6,000 locals have signed a petition against the proposed development and a further 800 have submitted letters of objection.

After the vote protestors were visibly delighted.

Peterhead resident Mary Dawson said: “I’m just over the moon. Especially the people who said it was all signed, sealed, delivered and thought we were all wasting our time getting support – I’ll be delighted to go back and say to them, ‘we’ve won. We beat them!’.”

Fellow protestor John Askey added: “I’m so pleased that the majority of councillors chose to vote against the incinerator and for their planners and for democracy.

“Over the last two years we’ve all been concerned that it would get permission because the councillors can’t talk about it, so we didn’t know what each other was thinking. But they followed their professional planners view of it all and they’ve come down against it and we’re really pleased.”

The motion to refuse permission for the plant was carried by 49 votes to 13.

Councillor Sam Coull was in favour of the projected.

He said: “I think time will tell and we’ll come to regret today’s decision.

“In the last two years we (Peterhead) added 2,000 tonnes to landfill in the last two years. “We’re relying on the public now to pull the stops out to do the decent thing, but in past experiences I’m not too hopeful.”

Buchan CHP had accused protestors of “scaremongering” over the potential health problems the plant would cause.

In a statement, a spokeswoman for the firm said after the vote: “We are disappointed that our vision for a clean and green waste-to-energy plant at Upperton Industrial Estate has been rejected by councillors.

“The proposed waste-to-energy plant has the potential to bring major investment and 25 high value, full-time jobs and apprenticeships, as well as hundreds of construction jobs and service related jobs to the area.

“We will take some time to digest the committee’s findings before making a decision on any future plans for the development.”

A report by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) claimed building the waste to energy plant, would have no negative impact on the health of Peterhead locals.

Protestors claimed the study was based on “out of date” data.