A worm farmer has spoken out about his bid to turn Marwell Zoo's animal waste into fertilizer.

Malcolm Wright, who wants to open a composting and worm farm near Hurst Farm, in Thompson's Lane, Colden Common, has said his main motive is to help the zoo go green.

"I've made enough money out of waste. I'm doing this as an environmental project for the zoo," he said.

"I don't want to cut trees down, I don't want to use big lorries - I'm not that kind of person."

His statements came after a Hampshire County Council meeting this week when councillors decided to defer making a decision on the scheme.

Officers told the meeting that the zoo had only this week come up with a new way of accessing the proposed site, which needed to be investigated.

But nearby residents were still fuming.

Julie Ayre, from Owslebury said Marwell Zoo should be looking to put the waste disposal on its own land.

"The zoo has a huge acreage of land to the north which could be used for this proposal," she said. "However, they are choosing to bring waste out of the zoo to land which they do not own and which is not set aside for this use."

She also said the application would turn a rural piece of land into an industrial site, breaking guidelines in the district and structure plan.

Residents fear increased traffic would be a danger, and the site would be smelly and a hygiene hazard.

They also say this is the first time a zoo planning application has caused such controversy.

But Mr Wright, who says he has worked in waste management for nearly 30 years, said the Marwell Zoo composter would comprise state-of-the-art technology.

It would turn dung into fertilizer in two hours, he claimed, which could then be used to grow trees for landscaping at the zoo, or for animal fodder.

Denying accusations that the proposal was a commercial venture, he said the zoo would use any surplus over the years to grow more trees.

Further leftover fertilizer would be given to schools, said Mr Wright.

Currently three lorries take the zoo's weekly 20-tonne pile-up of dung and old hay to landfill sites.

But under the proposed scheme 80% of the waste would be carted to the compost site in discreet wheelie bins, said Mr Wright.

"It's not like a dripping, smelly refuse cart. My idea is far more acceptable and does away with that - no more big lorries."

Only carnivore waste such as meat or bones - three or four wheelie bins a week - would be taken to the landfill site, said Mr Wright.

He admitted he was pleased the decision had been put back to look at the new access proposals, because he was not happy with the roundabout journey in the initial application.

There will be a site visit next month before a decision is taken in January.