YORK’S energy champion has called on the Government to step in and force a rethink over controversial plans for a £900 million incinerator.

City of York Council and North Yorkshire County Council will decide this month whether to award the contract for the plant at Allerton quarry and landfill site, between York and Harrogate, to Spanish firm Amey Cespa.

The authorities say the facility, backed by £65 million in private finance initiative funding, would allow them to slice £320 million off their waste management bills and beat their target of recycling 50 per cent of waste by 2020, as well as providing enough energy to power 40,000 homes.

But opponents say possible alternatives have not been given sufficient consideration and claim the project would be a waste of money.

Coun Christian Vassie has now written to Chris Huhne, the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, asking him to intervene so more time can be taken to look at how energy can be created from waste and whether the plant could be placed elsewhere.

“As energy champion for City of York Council, I have visited many European countries to talk and exchange ideas on how to make local authorities more energy efficient,” said Coun Vassie.

“Unfortunately, there seems to be little appetite for learning from others in York. Making electricity is only a fraction of what this proposed plant could be doing. The incinerator could be providing heat to 40,000 homes, but because the proposal is to site the plant in the middle of nowhere, all that heat will simply be poured into the skies.

“At a time when local authorities are making massive cuts, it is incomprehensible we are not insisting on a scheme which provides cheap heating to our schools, hospitals, public buildings and homes.”

The executives of both councils have recommended approving the contract award. Andrew Waller, leader of City of York Council said not pressing ahead with the scheme would lead to higher waste penalties and public services suffering as a result.