Hunterston: Power station could have fed three million homes
A council has rejected plans for controversial coal-fired power station that would have provided energy for three million homes.
North Ayrshire Council turned down the proposals for the station based at Hunterston on Wednesday afternoon.
A public inquiry will now be held before ministers make the final decision on whether to approve the proposed scheme at Hunterston, North Ayrshire.
Council leader David O'Neill said: "North Ayrshire is in urgent need of new jobs - but not at any cost.
"We have the highest unemployment rate in Scotland and appreciate that a new power station at Hunterston would create new jobs.
"However, we cannot ignore the adverse impact this development could have on the area.
"Councillors at today's meeting recognised the strength of public feeling on the plans and expressed concern that the facility would not capture 100% of carbon emissions from day one.
"They also highlighted the lack of sufficient information on the impact on human health and the effects the development would have on the local environment."
Ayrshire Power had applied to build the station, which would be the first of new coal-fired power station to be built in Scotland since the 1970s.
Mike Claydon, the firm's project manager, said: "While we are disappointed at the outcome of today’s meeting, it is not entirely unexpected, and we remain determined to progress our application through the planning process.
"Our plans for Hunterston would deliver Scotland’s first new coal-fired power station for more than 40 years so it is, perhaps, not surprising that such a major development has attracted objections.
"The Ayrshire Power project represents a significant economic opportunity for Scotland and, in particular, for North Ayrshire, and would attract in excess of £3bn of investment, delivering hundreds of new jobs for the region and a range of other economic benefits."
Environmental groups have opposed the station since it was first proposed, and more than 20,000 people have signed a petition to stop the plant at Hunterston with a large proportion of the signatories living in the local area.
Greens Party MSP Patrick Harvie said: "The idea of a new coal-fired power station was always incompatible with Scotland's climate change commitments, and if it had been approved we would have seen something in the order of 50 million tonnes of CO2 entering the atmosphere, quite avoidably.
"Even with the commitments from the developer to try out the speculative technology of carbon capture and storage, this would be taking us in entirely the wrong direction.
"Scotland needs to move away from fossil fuels, not locking ourselves in to decades more of coal-fired power generation. The challenge to Ministers now is that they must commit to honouring local democracy, not stepping in and over-ruling Councillors to force this project through, which was their approach with the Trump scheme."
The council's decision does not necessarily spell the end for the plan, however, as the final decision on the plant will be made by the Scottish Government.
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