North Yorkshire County Council is currently conducting an informal consultation about a planning application for the Burn site, which it intends to submit to Selby District Council later this year.

As part of its sustainable waste strategy for the next 25 years, NYCC wants to build a facility to handle household waste generated within Selby district.

But Thorpe Willoughby parish councillor Mal Doyle warned if the facility gets the go-ahead, it could mean plans from NYCC-owned firm Yorwaste for the Gateforth Park Farm composting plant – thrown out two years ago – could be successful if re-submitted.

He said: "The original planning application for Gateforth Park Farm was turned down because it was too far from a waste transfer site. If Burn gets the go-ahead, it will be just a few miles from Thorpe Willoughby.

"I don't think anything is done by chance in NYCC. It has massive targets to meet with regards to recycling so it will be a very attractive prospect."

Campaign group RATTY – Residents Action To stop Trial by Yorwaste – successfully opposed the Yorwaste bid in 2006, but the site identified by the firm in January 2007 as being suitable for waste transfer operations in NYCC's Minerals and Waste Development Framework, which is due to be considered in September.

Coun Doyle added: "Burn could also be overrun with flies and rats and some very nasty air-born toxins. It stinks doesn't it? Literally."

Burn parish councillor David Bellamy said the PC had been consulted and had requested improvements at the A19 junction with Common Lane before any development took place.

He added: "The parish council needs to know more about what's involved.
"We did point out that there are houses quite close by and the site is next to an active gliding club."

NYCC director of business and environment services Richard Flinton said if the local authority decided to progress the application, it would be subject to a full consultation exercise where local residents would be able to comment on the details of the proposal – including lorry movements, operating hours and the scale of the plant.

He added if the application was successful, the plant would operate within strict guidelines and be licensed by the Environment Agency.