A giant new incinerator is still a possibility for Avonmouth following a heated debate at Bristol's Council House last night.

No decision will be taken on a technological solution to the West of England's waste problems for two years.

But an incinerator remains on the list of options after an angry city council debate lasting nearly three hours.

Opposition Liberal Democrat councillors failed by 28 votes to 34 to get the authority to drop the idea.

Instead, the hung council's Labour leadership – which some expected to give up power if its flagship waste policy had been voted down – lived to fight another day.

The waste policy it shares with partner councils in North Somerset and South Gloucestershire remains intact.

But the 70-member council's 13 Tories expressed grave concerns about an incinerator. And their amendment to beef up scrutiny of Labour's decisions on waste was accepted by the ruling party.

In the end, Conservative councillor, Spud Murphy, of Avonmouth, was one of just two councillors to abstain in the vote on the Lib Dems' motion.

The 31-member Lib Dem group – which favours alternatives for dealing with the West's waste they say are cheaper and cleaner – had four members absent, including St Paul's councillor, Shirley Marshall, whose long absence from meetings earlier this year was controversial.

The council's one Green councillor, Charlie Bolton, voted with 27 Lib Dems.

They were opposed by 34 Tory and Labour councillors. Labour currently has just 24 councillors following the recent death of St George West councillor John Deasy.

Mr Murphy warned of "poisonous fumes blowing up the Bristol Channel" towards Avonmouth, Shirehampton, Easter Compton, Pilning and other areas if an incinerator was eventually the chosen option to dispose of the waste the West cannot recycle.

And his leader, Councillor Richard Eddy (Bishopsworth), warned the council against "rushing" into a long-term decision.

He said the council was in danger of "sleepwalking into a poor decision we might live to regret".

His deputy, Geoff Gollop, said a majority of the council was "opposed to a 'feed-the-beast' mass- burn incinerator".

But Mr Eddy and his party did not vote to throw out the policy, which includes an application to the Government next month for up to £80 million of public funding for the West's long-term waste treatment needs.

Instead, with Labour backing, they pushed through an amendment calling for "rigorous financial assessment" before any technology option was selected.

A small, all-party working group will be set up to look at ways to achieve greater cuts in the amount of waste households throw out.

A full outline business case will be referred to one of the council's scrutiny commissions on October 23, before a meeting of the ruling Labour cabinet on October 30.

The bid for Private Finance Initiative (PFI) cash has to be in by October 31. Labour's finance chief, Councillor John Bees, said all options – including an incinerator – needed to be kept open.