A protest swelled support for a campaign against expanding an existing waste site, according to a councillor fighting the proposals.

Romford Recorder: Ingrebourne Hill. Picture: Roger JonesIngrebourne Hill. Picture: Roger Jones (Image: Roger Jones)

A public meeting was held last week at St John’s Church in South End Road, South Hornchurch, to consult with residents over plans to increase the size of Ingrebourne Hill, in Rainham, and create a link with Hornchurch Country Park.

But Cllr Michael-Deon Burton and other members of the Independent Residents’ Group took to the church’s car park to win the support of visiting members of the public.

He said: “I did not come across one soul that was in support of the dumping of waste in the country park.

“How, by any stretch of the imagination, can the dumping of other peoples’ waste onto our cherished, award-winning park, improve the borough.”

But the council denies that there will be damage to the environment.

A council spokesman said: “There are no plans to use the area as a landfill site for general waste, decomposable material or anything that will damage the environment.

“There will be no loss of land on the park or any adverse effects on or around the area, and the existing hill was built up in the same way.”

Numbers behind the banner criticising the proposals rose from 20 at the beginning of the evening to over 70, Cllr Burton said.

Contractors Ingrebourne Valley Ltd bought the land from the council in 2011 causing controversy from residents and politicians who wanted to preserve the green space.

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