There is widespread opposition to building an incinerator for waste at the North Quay in Newhaven.

But it's hard to think of what alternative East Sussex County Council and Brighton and Hove City Council have.

Most existing landfill sites are full or will be full within a few years. Taking the rubbish to bury it many miles away is environmentally unfriendly.

Recycling is highly desirable and efforts are being made to increase the percentage of waste that can be used again. But even if ambitious targets are reached, there will still be several thousand tonnes of rubbish produced each year and nowhere to put it.

No one wants an incinerator next door but modern ones are a far cry from the smoke-belching monsters of the past.