CORNWALL Council meets today to decide whether to terminate its 30-year waste contract with SITA – at a potential price of £300 million.

Last month the council was seen to be at war with itself over the issue of incineration as the council's waste advisory panel voted to forge ahead with the 30-year contract with SITA – despite the planning committee rejecting plans for an incinerator last March. Today at the council chambers in Truro the council's cabinet will decide whether to listen to the advice of the panel.

At last month's meeting councillors suggested that it could cost as much as £300 million to break the contract and this was deemed too high a price to pay for the county's taxpayers.

A key part of the contract is the planned Cornwall energy Recovery Centre (CERC) – the incinerator earmarked for St Dennis. Residents and campaigners against believe a better option can be worked and the contract should be broken. Cllr Dick Cole, who is also the Mebyon Kernow parliamentary prospective candidate for St Austell and Newquay, said: "I was disappointed that more councillors on the waste panel did not wish to pressure the cabinet into properly exploring their ability to terminate the contract and seek more sustainable ways to deal with Cornwall's domestic waste.

"This is an important issue and one that Cornwall Council must get right."