North Yorkshire councillors question incinerator's genuine improvement

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 14 Oct, 13:33 · Archive

Opposition councillors question whether North Yorkshire's Allerton Waste Recovery Park is genuinely improving or simply performing less poorly than before.

Opposition councillors have questioned whether North Yorkshire's Allerton Waste Recovery Park, near Knaresborough, is genuinely improving or simply performing 'less badly' than before. Figures show the amount of waste diverted from landfill fell from 94.86 per cent in 2023/24 to 83.15 per cent in 2025/26. Over the same period, waste sent directly to landfill when the facility was unavailable more than trebled, rising from 14,190 tonnes to 46,576 tonnes.

Council officers say significant investment in repairs has resulted in substantial improvements in the plant's performance. However, Green councillor David Noland challenged whether the improvements represent genuine progress or simply recovery from particularly poor performance. He said: 'Is Allerton actually performing well, or just less badly than before?' and questioned whether residents were 'getting value for money'.

The facility has failed to meet its contractual recycling target of five per cent in every year since it began operating in March 2018. In 2025/26, just 1.76 per cent of contract waste was recycled, compared with 1.78 per cent two years earlier. Council officers said recycling performance had been affected by difficulties finding markets for materials recovered from mixed household waste. The energy-from-waste plant's availability also fell from 86.87 per cent in 2023/24 to 74.17 per cent in 2025/26, following technical problems and extended maintenance shutdowns.

How it is being reported

• Is North Yorkshire incinerator improving or performing 'less badly', councillors askOpposition councillors have questioned whether North Yorkshire's waste incinerator is genuinely improving or simply performing "less badly" than before.Darlington & Stockton Times · 14 Oct, 13:00
• Is North Yorkshire incinerator improving or performing 'less badly', councillors askOpposition councillors have questioned whether North Yorkshire's waste incinerator is genuinely improving or simply performing "less badly" than before.The Northern Echo · 14 Oct, 13:00

In this story: Allerton Waste Recovery Park · North Yorkshire Council · David Noland · Knaresborough

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