The incinerator was opened in 1975 to burn the domestic waste of the four local authorities of Middlesbrough, Stockton on Tees, Redcar & Cleveland and Hartlepool.

[2] The plant burned approximately 200,000 tonnes of waste every year and had the potential capacity to generate 20 megawatts (MW) of electricity although it never actually did so.

[1] The incinerator was superseded by the Teesside WTE Power Station a couple of miles down river at Haverton Hill.

At the site's blocked-off northern road entrance is a public sculpture entitled Germination (2005) commissioned by Tees Valley Wildlife.

After clearing the incinerator site it was planted with hedgerows, oak trees and sown with wildflower seeds.