First look at £122m incinerator

The structure for the development, which will generate power for around 32,000 homes, can now be seen at the Four Ashes Industrial Park where it is based just off the A449 Stafford Road.

Work on the development started in June 2011 and is set to be finished by December next year.

This weekend members of the public were allowed a rare glimpse behind the scenes at the site as part of the construction industry's first Open Doors Weekend.

Once it is up and running, rubbish that can't be recycled from Staffordshire, Sandwell, Worcestershire and Walsall will be brought to the site to be burnt in a process that produces steam which drives turbines for electricity.

On Saturday around 30 people were given a tour of the site and got to see key areas of the construction.

Work on the office block area is developing well and contractors revealed that there will be a giant bunker, which visitors and staff will be able to see from a viewing point, where the rubbish will be brought.

One completed the building will also have one of the largest grass roofs in the country. At its peak up to 300 people, most of them local, will be working on the construction and the development will create 40 jobs. Paul Gouland, marketing director at Clugston Construction which is working on the project said: "At the moment around three quarters of the process equipment, such as boilers and generators have been installed. This major project is having significant benefit to the local economy during construction with at least 87 per cent of the workforce and a large proportion of the supply chain having been sourced locally."

Among those in attendance was 67-year-old Peter Sanders from Coven. The former Brewood and Coven parish councillor also sits on a community liaison group which is able to regularly visit the site. He said: "I have very much enjoyed seeing the site come together. They have been very open and always answered questions."