The waste contractor which has applied to build an incinerator to burn thousands of tonnes of rubbish has welcomed the Government's announcement to review its waste strategy.

The Government review may include making better use of energy-recovery technologies.

Veolia Environmental Services, formerly known as Onyx, has a 25-year contract with Brighton and Hove City Council and East Sussex County Council to dispose of household waste.

Veolia has submitted a planning application to build an incinerator at North Quay in Newhaven. The facility will process waste which is not recycled or composted and will burn 210,000 tonnes of waste a year, which will generate enough electricity to power up to 16,500 houses.

Chris Maltbaek, managing director of Veolia Environmental Services for East Sussex and Brighton and Hove, said: "The growth in the amount of waste produced in this country means that we have to look at how technology can help us meet these challenges. In Europe, the countries which have most successfully reduced their dependence on landfill, such as Denmark, Germany, Switzerland and Sweden, have all done so using a mix of energy recovery, recycling and composting.

"We want to be able to achieve a similar balance and these Government proposals should help to support our aims."