Work will restart to clear the remaining 9,000 tonnes of rubbish at the Waste4Fuel site however it depends when the funding arrives.

Bromley Council agreed on Wednesday that work will begin as soon as funds are received from the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) but have not confirmed the date.

An additional £1.88million is needed to clear the site and the total project cost is £4.589million after contaminated waste was found at the bottom of the pile.

Deputy leader Councillor Colin Smith said: “The council has stuck at this determinedly for many months and we have suffered some considerable disappointments along the way, but we pledged from the outset to clear this disgraceful mess away and effect an agreeable outcome for local residents and that promise is thankfully and finally, now within touching distance of being delivered.

"The evening’s executive decision clears the way for work to recommence immediately the additional promised funding from Defra hits the council’s bank account, eliminating any need to then go through these procedural matters at a later date, a further delay to finishing the job.

"I expect to be able to confirm the dates for that clearance shortly, which will be fantastic news for everyone, especially those long suffering nearby local residents, who I continue to be grateful to for their amazing support, patience and understanding as we have picked our way through and eliminated the complex issues involved.”

About 18,000 tonnes have been removed so far and it is anticipated that the remaining 9,000 tonnes will take about two months to clear.

The site in Cornwall Drive in St Paul's Cray, near residential housing and the A20 Sidcup bypass, has been the scene of repeated fires.