CAMPAIGNERS battling to block a £1.4 billion scheme to build a waste incinerator between York and Harrogate hope to boost their cause by teaming up with anti-cuts protesters.

North Yorkshire County Council and City of York Council have both agreed to award a 25-year contract to operate the plant at Allerton quarry to Spanish firm AmeyCespa, with the next step being a full planning application.

But opponents of the project, who claim it would be too expensive and alternatives should be looked at, are now planning to step up their campaign in the wake of the county council setting its 2011/12 budget, which outlined massive savings and cuts to services.

North Yorkshire Waste Action Group (NYWAG) says the Allerton Waste Recovery Park proposals are a “complete contradiction” to the authority's need to save money and plan to use this as a line of attack aimed at drawing in more support. They also say “cheaper options” such a thermal processing waste plant, could save about £13 million a year.

“The council tells us they have to reduce spending by £69 million over the next four years, yet they are planning to commit to spending more than £1.4 billion over the next 25 years to implement the Allerton Park incinerator,” said NYWAG chairman Steve Wright, whose group have collected 10,000 signatures for a petition opposing the incinerator.

“Its proposed library closures would save only £2.1 million a year, so saving some £13 million a year in replacing the incinerator with a cheaper alternative would allow all these other services to be kept running virtually as they are now.

“In light of this, and in order to gain support from residents throughout North Yorkshire rather than just those living near the proposed site, we are planning joint petitioning and protests with those who feel equally strongly about the proposed cuts to services for the young, vulnerable and elderly.

The councils have said the project, backed by private finance initiative funding, will cut their waste bills by about £320 million by reducing the amount of landfill tax the authorities have to pay, helping to stave off cuts to services, and enable them to meet tough recycling targets.

If AmeyCespa secures planning permission and an operating permit from the Environment Agency, the plant could be ready by 2014.