FEW things attract the opprobrium of potential neighbours as much as the prospect of a waste incinerator moving in nearby.

That’s only to be understood and appreciated. No-one wants something perceived as unpleasant suddenly casting a shadow over their homes.

But the harsh truth is that the Merseyside Waste Disposal Authority must resolve the headache over its incinerator plan sooner, rather than later, or else a great many people – namely us, the council taxpayers – will be forced to pay the price.

It can have escaped no-one’s notice, after all, that the Government is espousing an increasingly “green” agenda, amid rising concerns over man’s harmful impact on the environment.

That’s why we are all encouraged to recycle as much as possible, in order to make the best use of dwindling resources. But what happens when “green” strategies founder in the face of massed opposition, as the MWDA is currently experiencing?

Firstly, the environmental cost continues to mount. Endless trucks keep on tipping endless amounts of rubbish into unsightly landfills, and the opportunity to recycle large amounts of waste, for the benefit of the planet and all those who live on it, is lost for ever.

Secondly, the financial burden escalates, too. The Government has warned that those councils failing to achieve recycling targets will face a rising tariff of penalties, the longer their shortcomings persist.

The MWDA’s incinerator is undoubtedly controversial, and neighbours of the two remaining possible sites are understandably incensed. But there have been many reassurances about its efficiency and safety, and it must, at the very least, provide the starting point for meaningful negotiation.

Otherwise, in due course, we will pay an increasingly high price every time a council tax bill thumps down on the doormat. And the planet will pay even more dearly . . .