Exclusive: Cameron lobbied to halt finance for national drive to burn waste

Senior Government Ministers are being petitioned to put a halt to plans to enter into agreements with the private sector to finance the multi-billion pound incineration scheme and instead focus the resources on pursuing greener technologies for waste disposal.

The outgoing chairman of North Yorkshire County Council, John Savage, is writing to Mr Cameron as well as Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and Chancellor George Osborne urging them to scrap the scheduled private finance initiative (PFI) credits to support incineration projects throughout the country.

Coun Savage has expressed grave doubts over a 65m waste disposal strategy in North Yorkshire if an incinerator is introduced, amid fears that the effects of the controversial project could be felt for generations to come.

He is instead calling for greater consideration to be given to environmentally friendly strategies, such as improving recycling rates or employing anaerobic digestion technologies, where micro-organisms break down biodegradable material.

Coun Savage added: "I told the Chancellor that there is substantive evidence to suggest that there are immediate cost savings of up to 3bn which are currently budgeted in PFI credits to support proposed incineration projects and with greater focus on anaerobic digestion and improving recycling levels.

"Those sorts of costs can be avoided to the benefit of everyone, not least the planet."

Coun Savage stressed that a review of North Yorkshire's minerals and waste core strategy and the plans for a waste incinerator in the county would prove defining moments.

He organised a summit meeting last month which involved some of the world's leading authorities on waste incineration to provide an informed debate on the strategy.

The meeting analysed the economic benefits of waste disposal, as well as the impact on health, tourism and agriculture. One of the most controversial topics which was discussed was the cases for and against incineration.

A survey of the 125 delegates at the conference at Allerton Castle found that there was overwhelming support for the county council to take more time before reaching a decision on developing an incinerator in North Yorkshire.

Coun Savage has now written to his colleagues on the county council and the authority's senior officers to urge them to hold back on making a final decision on the incinerator plant.

Coun Savage said: "I fully appreciate how much work has been done in preparing for this, and I also appreciate the political realities of the county council.

"However, it's no exaggeration to say this is the single biggest financial decision that will ever be taken by the county council.

"I genuinely believe there is not sufficient evidence or argument to warrant going ahead without at least giving further consideration to the range of arguments against incineration and, more importantly, the alternatives that clearly exist."

The county council's corporate director of business and environmental services, Richard Flinton, said details of the technology which could be used had to remain confidential due to the competitive tendering process.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs confirmed that the Government was considering further options to reduce waste nationally but admitted that "there is no single solution".