PLANS for a controversial £900 million waste plant between York and Harrogate have been submitted.

The firm behind proposals for the Allerton Waste Recovery Park, which would be built on the site of a quarry and landfill site next to the A1, has submitted a full planning application for the scheme to North Yorkshire County Council.

The authority and City of York Council gave a 25-year contract to build and operate the plant, backed by £65 million in private finance initiative funding, to AmeyCespa last year. The company says it will reduce the amount of landfill waste in the region by at least 90 per cent.

But the incinerator’s opponents say it will be a waste of public money and will damage the environment, claiming alternatives have not been looked at.

It is expected to take between nine months and a year for a decision to be made on the proposals.

Both authorities say the plant will cut their waste management bills by £320 million, although the combined cost to the councils could eventually be as much as £1.4 billion. If approved, it would become operational by early 2015.

The plans involve reducing the height of the plant’s chimney by ten metres, changing the layout and design of the facility “to improve visual aspects”, improving access and including farm buildings within the site to create a visitor and education centre.

Project director Bill Jarvis said: “We would like to thank the people who have taken the time to get in touch and find out more about our proposals.

“The new facility will make the most of people’s everyday rubbish, ensuring as much is recycled as possible, as well as generating renewable energy and creating electricity from waste which would otherwise have gone to landfill.

“This creates a saving for the councils at a time when budget control is a key issue.”

AmeyCespa, which will submit an environmental permit application to the Environment Agency later this year, said the site would produce enough electricity to power 40,000 homes.

Mr Jarvis said: “This is the most up-to-date and cost-effective solution to deal with North Yorkshire’s waste.”

The application documents will be made publicly available after being validated by planning officers, but more information is available at allerton-waste-recovery-park.co.uk, by e-mailing enquiries@allerton-waste-recovery-park or by phoning 01609 751676.