THE £50m expansion of Eastcroft Incinerator has been branded "a symbol of a bygone industrial past, standing in the way of regeneration."

As a public inquiry got underway the city council claimed proposals to build a third incinerator line, increasing its capacity by 100,000 tonnes of waste a year, would hold back plans for major residential office and commercial developments in the Waterside Regeneration Zone.

Today, John Hobson QC representing the city council, said: "However much new cladding, and however many new coats of paint, it will never disguise what it is: a symbol of a bygone industrial past standing in the way of regeneration. It would be wrong in principle to approve its expansion."

The inspector Stephen Roscoe also heard evidence from the incinerator operators Waste Recycling Group (WRG).

Rhodri Price Lewis QC, representing WRG, said in his opening statement that evidence will demonstrate proposals are in line with the development plan, regional and national policy.

He said it would move waste up the disposal "hierarchy" from landfill and that the public's perception that incinerators were detrimental to public health were based on, "a fundamental misunderstanding."

Nigel Lee, representing Nottingham Against Incineration and Landfill (NAIL), said expansion was not consistent with regeneration policies and that the need for extra incineration capacity should be re-examined in the forthcoming consultation on Waste Development Documents.

Waste Recycling Group (WRG), owners of the incinerator, want to build a third incinerator line which would increase its capacity from 150,000 to 250,000 tonnes of waste a year.

The plans also include an external makeover, building an extra gas filtration system and an energy recovery unit at the site, off London Road.

The inquiry, at the Hilton Hotel, Milton Street, Nottingham, is being held after the city council failed to make a decision on a planning application within the 16-week time limit. It has been listed for three weeks.

Rebecca Rothera was among a group of four protestors outside the hotel this morning.

She said: "I feel like this process keeps happening. They keep asking to expand the incinerator and the public keep saying no, and they keep going through the planning process and asking again and again.

"It's hard for the public to keep the momentum of saying no all the time. One day it's going to slip through.

"That's why we got out of bed early this morning, because we don't want to see the expansion of the incinerator in a city that has a low recycling rate."

Speaking ahead of the inquiry, Jon Beresford, chairman of Nottingham Against Incineration and landfill (NAIL), said: "The problem is a lot of people think it's all done and dusted because it's been going on for so long. I think there's a certain amount of apathy, that this decision has already been made.

"Our idea is that we have to do something to stop it, so we're encouraging people to come along. Most people feel they've voiced their opinions.

"We've handed in a petition of 3,000 signatures to the city council opposing the expansion and we've also collected several thousand letters of objection.

"The problem is keeping momentum going."