Council closes ranks in fight to halt waste incinerator

The cross-party vote made at a full meeting of Harrogate Borough Council on Wednesday night, follows a move last month by members of its planning committee to strongly object to the application at Allerton Park, near Knaresborough, before it goes before North Yorkshire County Council later this year.

The main concerns among councillors are the scale of the proposals, highway issues, adverse impact on the countryside, worries over toxic fumes and inadequate information in the planning application.

Coun Anthony Alton, the deputy leader of Harrogate Borough Council, said: “The vote was absolutely unanimous.

“There were a lot of councillors speaking up across both sides of the political divide.

“I am optimistic that this application will not get built, however this meeting is just one little step on the route.

“There is a united front now in opposition to this.

“This is the way the parishes and a number of the local MPs are looking to go.

“I have got to take my hat off to the villages as well, they are doing an enormous amount of work in opposition to this.”

More than 10,000 people have now signed a petition protesting against the scheme, with many calling on Communities Secretary Eric Pickles to step in.

Last month, the Yorkshire Post revealed the Highways Agency had announced it has asked for any decision on the application to be put on hold for six months for the developer to provide information about planned measures to minimise the impact of site traffic on the nearby A1(M) and in particular manage HGV journeys to and from the site.

AmeyCespa, the firm behind the controversial proposals, which is hoping to sign the 25-year waste contract with North Yorkshire County Council and York Council, says it is working with consultees to address key concerns to enable the delivery of a state-of-the-art waste management facility that meets the needs of North Yorkshire.