Incineratorcampaignerslay out their battle plans

CAMPAIGNERS will outline their battle plan to prevent a multi-million pound incinerator being built in North Yorkshire amid warnings that councillors are intent on pushing through the proposals.

An action group, York Residents Against Incineration (YRAIN), will hold a public meeting on Monday amid growing pressure for councillors to ditch controversial proposals for an incinerator on the site of the first waste recycling plant of its kind in the country.

North Yorkshire County Council and York Council are now due to meet in December after delaying a decision on the proposed facility at Allerton Park, between York and Harrogate, which was due to be made next month.

Councillors have claimed they want to give the public more time to voice their views before the decision is taken as to whether the 900m contract should be awarded to the preferred bidder, AmeyCespa.

However, campaigners fear the decision is a foregone conclusion after a tendering process to find a contractor stretches back as far as September 2007.

YRAIN campaigner Richard Lane said: “It’s easy and profitable to build an incinerator – just stack up the rubbish and send it up the chimney for the next 25 years.

“But we need to do better than this – we need to protect recycling, reduce greenhouse gases, and reduce waste. That is the sustainable route, but unfortunately also the less profitable one.”

Coun John Savage, who stepped down from the county council’s Conservative group in protest at the incinerator plans, is due to speak at the meeting, along with the Green group’s leader on York Council, Coun Andy D’Agorne.

Coun Ann Reid, who represents York Council on a waste partnership board overseeing the proposed scheme, has also been invited. The meeting is from 7.30pm at the Friends’ Meeting House, Friargate.