Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has foreshadowed further action on plans to build another mass waste incinerator on the River Thames at Belvedere, following its approval earlier this month.

The comments come after Cory Riverside Energy’s application was rubber-stamped by the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial, in a scheme which will see the creation of the Riverside Energy Park.

Wildlife enthusiasts, Bexley councillors and neighbours had opposed the plans, concerned over its impact on the nearby Crossness Nature Reserve and air quality in the area.

Labour figures representing Belvedere, including Erith and Thamesmead MP Abena Oppong-Asare, indicated they would challenge the decision, while a spokesperson for the Mayor of London said officers would now review details of the decision and would comment further once it has been fully assessed.

“The Secretary of State’s decision to approve the application for the Cory Incinerator is extremely disappointing,” the spokesperson said.

“The Mayor’s team provided evidence and representations through the examination process to demonstrate that this facility is not needed to manage London’s waste and will have a detrimental impact on recycling, climate change and air quality.”

The Mayor’s Office had previously maintained a long-running opposition to the scheme, including during a public inquiry held into the application in June last year.

“The Mayor has been clear that no more waste incinerators are needed in London and called on the Government to refuse the application for this new incinerator in Bexley,” the spokesperson said.

“Burning waste in incinerators worsens London’s already toxic air quality and hinders boroughs from boosting recycling performance in order to reach the Mayor’s 65 per cent recycling target by 2030.”

The firm behind Riverside Energy Park say the new facility will divert up to 805,000 tonnes of non-recyclable waste from landfill and produce up to 96MW of low carbon renewable electricity, which the firm says could be used to power heating for homes in the district.

A spokesperson for Cory rejected the Mayor’s claims that the project would negatively impact on recycling levels and would offer a more sustainable solution to waste than landfill.

“The Secretary of State has clearly recognised that there is need for more residual waste processing capacity in the UK, and has granted us permission to develop the Riverside Energy Park in accordance with its Development Consent Order,” the spokesperson said.

“This followed an extensive public consultation process and assessment undertaken by the planning inspectorate where all parties had an opportunity to present their concerns for independent assessment.

“It is not true to suggest that energy from waste facilities suppress recycling rates. Instead, energy from waste not only complements recycling but it also offers a more sustainable solution than either landfill or the export of our non-recyclable waste, because it converts it into low-carbon energy to help power the national grid.”