A Battersea councillor has rubbished the possibility that a controversial waste incinerator may be built in the town.

At a public meeting organised by the Nine Elms Sector Working Group, Queenstown ward councillor Richard Vivian said not only was the proposal unlikely but that fellow councillors were "stirring" the issue.

He said: "I don't believe there is the slightest chance that the Western Riverside Waste Authority (WRWA) will seriously consider awarding its waste disposal contract to the party behind this scheme.

"I know for certain that Wandsworth's representatives on the WRWA would vote against it."

Coun Vivian added Councillor Samantha Heath was unnecessarily stirring up the issue. He said: "There's about as much chance of us being landed with an incinerator as there is of the entire population of Battersea suddenly changing its mind and deciding it might be quite nice after all to have an incinerator across the road.

"Councillor Heath must be fully aware of this, yet she persists in making an issue of it. All this does is worry the residents of my ward."

But Coun Heath denied the accusation.

She told the Guardian: "It's not true that I am just stirring this matter up.

"Councillor Vivian is saying that it's OK for an incinerator to be built as long as it isn't here in Battersea.

"We should be spending money on recycling and waste reduction strategies rather than incineration.

"Building incinerators anywhere offers no incentive for other schemes to be considered."

A decision by the WRWA on which bid they accept is expected in April 2001.