LONDON Authority candidates have united in calling for the proposed expansion of Edmonton incinerator to be reviewed.

And the four main candidates standing for election in Haringey to the Greater London Authority ? Peter Budge (Green), Nicky Gavron (Labour), Peter Forrest (Conservative) and Sean Hooker (Liberal Democrat) ? have voiced their doubts over the expansion.

The incinerator just north of Tottenham generates electricty from the waste it burns

Haringey Council has already voiced its objections to the expansion scheme.

However Enfield Council is the planning authority for the site, and it has given permission for the expansion.

The final decision will rest with the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, Stephen Byers.

This week Ms Gavron called on him to postpone his decision and leave it for the London Mayor and Assembly to decide.

She said: 'All the polls say Londoners want to recycle more.

'If London gets serious about recycling waste it will not need to expand the incinerator.'

Peter Forrest said: 'The proposed extension is too big and it's in the wrong place.

'The danger is that it will be so voracious for waste that it will make recycling uneconomic, and even more waste will be imported from outside London for burning.'

Lib Dem candidate Sean Hooker said: 'If the advantages of generating electricty from waste are exceeded by the new pollution created, then expansion's not a viable option.

And Pter Budge, for the Green Party, said more action should be taken to promote recycling, especially door-to-door collection schemes.

Their comments follow claims that fumes from the incinerator will gather directly over the site of the planned international athletic stadium at Picketts Lock.

An environmental impact study commissioned by LondonWaste Ltd, which runs the plant, points out that prevailing winds will tend to blow fumes from the proposed chimney over the stadium site.

A spokeswoman for LondonWaste said the extension would 'pose no threat to the environment or human health'.

She said: 'The results of the study show that there will be insignificant change in the current ground level concentration of pollutants. '

She added that the extension would comply with UK and European law on waste incineration and air pollution.

This view was supported by the Lee Valley Park Authority which is backing the stadium plan.

The park authority said it had taken the study into account and found the stadium site to be 'perfectly safe'.

'The key finding of the study was that the proposed extension to the incinerator would have no effect on local air quality,' a spokesman said.

By Michael Mullen

mmullen@london.newsquest.co.uk

GREATER London Authority candidates have united in calling for the proposed expansion of the Edmonton incinerator to be reviewed.

And the four main candidates standing for election in Haringey to the Greater London Authority ? Peter Budge (Green), Nicky Gavron (Labour), Peter Forrest (Conservative) and Sean Hooker (Liberal Democrat) ? have voiced their doubts over the expansion.

The incinerator just north of Tottenham generates electricity from the waste it burns

Haringey Council has already voiced its objections to the expansion scheme.

However, Enfield Council is the planning authority for the site, and it has approved the expansion.

The final decision will rest with the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, Stephen Byers.

This week Ms Gavron called on him to postpone his decision and leave it for the London mayor and assembly to decide.

She said: 'All the polls say Londoners want to recycle more.

'If London gets serious about recycling waste it will not need to expand the incinerator.'

Peter Forrest said: 'The proposed extension is too big and it's in the wrong place.

'The danger is that it will be so voracious for waste that it will make recycling uneconomic, and even more waste will be imported from outside London for burning.'

Lib Dem candidate Sean Hooker said: 'If the advantages of generating electricty from waste are exceeded by the new pollution created, then expansion's not a viable option.'

And Peter Budge, for the Green Party, said more action should be taken to promote recycling, especially door-to-door collection schemes.

Their comments follow claims that fumes from the incinerator will gather directly over the site of the planned international athletic stadium at Picketts Lock.

An environmental impact study commissioned by LondonWaste Ltd, which runs the plant, points out that prevailing winds will tend to blow fumes from the proposed chimney over the stadium site.

A spokeswoman for LondonWaste said the extension would 'pose no threat to the environment or human health'.

She said: 'The results of the study show that there will be insignificant change in the current ground level concentration of pollutants. '

She added that the extension would comply with UK and European law on waste incineration and air pollution.

This view was supported by the Lee Valley Park Authority, which is backing the stadium plan.

The park authority said it had taken the study into account and found the stadium site to be 'perfectly safe'.

'The key finding of the study was that the proposed extension to the incinerator would have no effect on local air quality,' a spokesman said.