HUDDERSFIELD’S giant incinerator is out of action for major refurbishment.

The Hillhouse plant – which processes thousands of tonnes of household rubbish – has been shut down to allow engineers to replace the boiler.

But Kirklees Council chiefs are confident that despite the shutdown, they will still beat targets for diverting waste away from landfill sites.

The plant is also still being fully used for recycling materials, collected in thousands of green wheeled bins across Huddersfield.

Steve Noble, of Kirklees Environmental Services, said: “This is a planned shutdown that we arranged a year ago.

“The plant has been closed to allow the boiler to be replaced and that is a massive task.

“It will mean that the incinerator is out of action until June 16.

“It was planned in the aftermath of the incident we had in the plant in 2006 when machinery was damaged.

“This new boiler should last until at least 2025”.

Mr Noble stressed that residents should continue to sort waste into their grey and green bins, despite the shutdown.

“We are having to send much of the waste to landfill but we are confident that despite the 14-week shutdown, we will still have 60% of our waste diverted from landfill sites – one of the best records in the country”.