Councillors in North Yorkshire have green-lit plans for a controversial £1.4bn incinerator plant.
Agreed in principle in 2010, the Allerton Waste Recovery Park incinerator is expected to deal with up to 320,000 tonnes of rubbish a year from communities in North Yorkshire and York.
The town hall yesterday voted in favour of a 25-year contract for AmeyCespa to build and manage the site, which could be operational by 2015.
The site will treat household waste left after recycling and composting, in addition to some commercial waste from businesses and offices. It is also expected to heat over 40,000 homes.
North Yorkshire County Council said the move would result in 'a significant reduction in North Yorkshire's and York's "carbon footprint", provide a boost to the economy, and produce enough electricity to power a town the size of Harrogate'.
The news follows a Government decision last year to withdraw £65m of PFI funding, citing the project was no longer needed to meet EU waste targets.
