Minister challenged to halt scheme for waste incinerator

Protesters have met with senior councillors and one of the county's MPs to voice their grave concerns over a proposed 900m waste disposal strategy amid fears that the effects could be felt for generations to come.

The waste disposal strategy will be the biggest contract ever awarded by the county council, and parish councillors are drawing up an action plan to block the incinerator proposals.

A meeting was held in Marton-cum-Grafton, near Boroughbridge, on Friday when more than 100 members of the public and representatives from 20 parish councils met the MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, Andrew Jones, and North Yorkshire County Council's deputy leader John Watson.

Mr Jones confirmed that he would be raising his concerns with the Treasury, arguing that a proposed 65m PFI grant should be reconsidered.

He is also due to contact Mrs Spelman, who earlier this month emphasised the need for councils to massively increase recycling and stressed the new Government's commitment to work towards a "zero waste" economy.

Mr Jones said: "I fully support the residents in their campaign against this incinerator. The strength of local feeling was evident and it seems to me that the county council simply has not made a compelling case for incineration as a method of waste disposal."

Campaigners have claimed the county council will have to commit 90m to the project, as well as 1bn in operating costs throughout the following 25 years.

Protesters have also stressed that the council should not be pushing ahead with the plans in the wake of the recession and cuts to public sector funding.

Marton-cum-Grafton Parish Council's chairman, Antony Long, said: "It is simply not good enough to keep touting plans that were developed five years ago and which are now totally out-of-date."

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