Benn fuels controversy on incinerators

Despite fierce protests seen in recent years, he insisted attitudes were changing and played down health fears over plants which could be used to heat homes.

Increased recycling and anaerobic digestion – creating energy from food waste through natural processes – are the Government's favoured methods for reducing waste but Mr Benn said forthcoming proposals to ban recyclable items such as food waste from landfill would give a "fresh impetus" to the case for incinerators which can also generate energy.

In comments likely to infuriate anti-incinerator campaigners, the Leeds Central MP said: "My view is that attitudes are changing; we are supporting local authorities in that work as they take those projects forward and try and get planning permission.

"I think the public's understanding of the health impact lags behind the reality, and I think we all have a responsibility to say, 'Look, this is another form of generating renewable energy in these circumstances'.

"I think the consultation on the landfill ban will provide a further impetus alongside, obviously, the rising landfill levy, which is a very, very sensible policy for trying to make all of us think about waste in a different way."

Waste-burning incinerators have long been a hot political topic, with huge protests over proposed developments in Yorkshire in recent years.

Campaigners have been fighting plans for a plant on the outskirts of Hull by Spanish-owned firm Waste Recycling Group (WRG).

In Leeds, council bosses have been accused of carrying out too little public consultation over controversial plans to build either a power-generating incinerator or a mechanical biological treatment plant in the east of the city to deal with waste.

And proposals for a plant in the North Yorkshire village of Tockwith have also caused controversy with villagers leaving councillors in no doubt of their feelings after a recent protest.

Despite being subject to stringent Environment Agency rules on emissions, critics argue the plants are hazardous to health and some claim the technology is now out of date.

But supporters say the UK could follow the example of countries like Denmark, where up to 60 per cent of homes are hooked up to district heating schemes supplied by waste-burning plants. Only a handful of schemes operate in this country at the moment.

Mr Benn said a "residue of feeling" that waste-burning plants were unhealthy created controversy around plants here in contrast to widespread acceptance overseas.

Quizzing Mr Benn at a select committee hearing on waste, Shadow Environment Minister Anne McIntosh, MP for Vale of York, welcomed the Government's support for anaerobic digestion but questioned why Ministers were "very slow" to support other forms of energy from waste.

Speaking afterwards, she raised the prospect of Tory backing for incinerators as well, saying: "We enthusiastically embrace anaerobic digestion. We urge the Government to work with local communities where appropriate to investigate the potential for energy from waste and to reduce food and bulk textile waste.