Shadow Secretary of State for Transport Theresa Villiers met with concerned residents and councillors during a day-long visit to the region and pledged to take a personal interest in the scheme.

Ms Villiers spent time at Tockwith Primary School where she spoke to teachers, children and governors about the potential health impact of the waste plant, which would be just 1,200m away from the school and playing fields – and nearer to many of their homes.

She said: “I am particularly worried about the safety issue since I have been told that a lot of the waste which will be going into the proposed plant is classified as hazardous.

“A major spillage along Rudgate could have a disastrous effect on local residents, businesses and agriculture.

“I hope the council will think long and hard about these issues before reaching its decision.”

Ms Villiers, who has been actively involved in issues surrounding rail, bus and road networks since being given the transport portfolio last July, also reinforced worries about the suitability of the local roads and she promised to ask for a full briefing from North Yorkshire County Council’s highways department.

She added: “All the heavy traffic bringing and removing waste will need to come down Rudgate.

“From driving along it myself, I can see that the road is narrow with at least one blind double bend. I am aware that the County Council recently rejected another proposal for a waste management site on the same stretch of road because of, among other things, concerns about its accessibility by road.”

Prospective parliamentary candidate for the Conservative party Nigel Adams said he was delighted Ms Villiers took the time to visit Tockwith and said she clearly shared people’s genuine concerns over the waste plant.

Deputy chairman of governors at Tockwith School Linda Billenness said: “At a time when we are pressing for better local footpath links, so children can get to school by foot or bicycle, we are risking a big increase in lorry movements along our roads as well as the levels of pollution that the young people will inhale as they walk.”