Power Chiefs drag their feet

Anna Blyth • Published 26 Aug 2010 09:30

A WIDESPREAD lack of response from the developers proposing a new £3bn coal-fired power station at Hunterston has forced North Ayrshire Council to ask for a 3 month extension to the consultation period.

With the public consultation period closing last Friday, councillors met last Wednesday to discuss a report by Solicitor to NAC Ian Mackay which revealed that developers Ayrshire Power - owned by Peel Holdings - had so far failed to arrange vital meetings with several key consultees, including SEPA (Scottish Environmental Protection Agency), Network Rail, Scottish National Heritage, Transport Scotland, the National Wildlife Trust and the Health and Safety Executive.

A representative from North Ayrshire Council commented: “North Ayrshire Council has been granted an extended deadline (until January 2011) for providing comments on plans by Ayrshire Power Ltd for a new multi-fuel power station at Hunterston.

“In order to make an informed response to the Scottish Government, the Council has been seeking feedback from various organisations regarding the proposals.

“However, two of those organisations - the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) and Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) - have failed to secure a meeting with Ayrshire Power Ltd and have now sought an extension to their own deadline for submitting representations.

The complex nature of the proposal means that technical issues have to be clarified with Ayrshire Power by such organisations before they can make expert recommendations to the local authority who seek to either approve (with conditions) or reject the developer’s planning application to build the UK’s first coal-fired plant in four decades.

For the full story see this week's Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald.

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