Anti-incinerator campaigners Mimi Byrom and Pete Burtenshaw with others outside the States Chamber yesterday. Their protest looked to have been in vain as a motion to delay a decision was defeated. (Picture by Tom Tardif, 0815507)

THE go-ahead for a £93.5m. incinerator at Longue Hougue was virtually sealed in the States yesterday.

A sursis attempting to delay a decision to allow time for alternative solutions to be examined by an independent advisory panel was defeated by 30 votes to 17.

It means that when the States meets today, it will be debating whether to agree to Public Services’ proposal for a mass-burn incinerator, which combines sorting and recycling facilities and an energy-from-waste plant capable of dealing with Guernsey’s waste throughout a 25-year contract with French contractor Suez Environnement.

Housing minister Dave Jones, who led the failed sursis, said yesterday’s result meant today’s debate would be a ‘sham’ because there were now no other options on the table and deputies would have no other choice but to accept it.

However, Public Services minister Bernard Flouquet was not predicting victory. He said history had taught him never to think something was certain until the votes had been counted.

‘I don’t ever want to be complacent with this. People may go home tonight and reflect on today’s debate and go the other way.’

Deputy Jones did not expect that to happen.

‘I’m disappointed because clearly there is a lot of public feeling out there that we have got it badly wrong. But the States has favoured PSD’s scaremongering tactic that everyone involved would walk away if we had a short review.

‘I didn’t believe that before and I don’t believe that now.’