YORK'S waste management company would face "insurmountable hurdles" if it applied for planning permission to extend a controversial "super tip" near York, according to Vale of York MP Anne McIntosh.

Miss McIntosh was speaking at a public meeting to discuss Yorwaste's proposals to extend the Harewood Whin site on the outskirts of Rufforth, instead of winding it up in 2008.

She told nearly 50 villagers that if Yorwaste formally applied for the extension, there would be a "good case" for the Environment Secretary to "call in" the proposal.

Villagers in Rufforth have been campaigning strongly against a further 70 acres being added to the site, which, Yorwaste hopes, would give it another 12 years of life.

They have formed the official protest group, Rufforth Against Landfill Lunacy (RALLY), which has demonstrated against the extension.

Miss McIntosh stressed that the extension would be on green belt land which could only be developed in special circumstances.

She said: "The developers would have great difficulties in proving special circumstances in this case."

Villagers fear the extension would lead to extra traffic on the B1224 road through Rufforth, which has seen fatalities in the past.

Miss McIntosh said she believed the extension would almost double the Harewood Whin site, with serious traffic and noise consequences, particularly as recycling would be involved.

Roger Lee, chairman of Rufforth Parish Council, said: "Recycling means that whatever goes into the site must come out again which is a great concern to villagers in terms of increases in traffic."

Miss McIntosh said: "(The developers) have insurmountable hurdles to get over."

She agreed with villagers that such a "super tip" would be better placed on one of York's growing industrial estates, rather than near a village.

Miss McIntosh cannot step in until Yorwaste makes a planning application, but she said that when and if the time came, she would ask the Secretary of State for the Environment to "call in" the application and decide upon it himself.

Yorwaste was unavailable for comment, but it has always stressed that an extended site would do wonders for York's waste crisis and would give the company time to come up with other schemes.

It also claims to have always been a good neighbour to the community of Rufforth, having always enjoyed good relations with villagers.