Community calls for a new green vision; Power station plans are put on hold.

Byline: Dave Black 

PEOPLE in a seaside village are calling for regeneration work and a new 'green' vision for their community after plans to build a pounds 2bn coal-fired power station were put on indefinite hold.

The former pit village of Cambois in Northumberland is said to be at risk of suffering serious planning blight because of uncertainty over the future of RWE npower's proposals for the 2,400 megawatt clean-coal plant.

The energy company's announcement that it cannot currently justify the massive investment required has prompted claims the power station will not now be built for between 10 and 20 years - if at all.

Yesterday residents and environmental campaigners who have opposed the scheme called for the redundant site of the old Blyth Power Station in Cambois to be cleaned up and developed for alternative uses. These could include new housing, community facilities or a centre for green energy technology on land where the former coal-fired plant was demolished in 2004.

Cambois community association chairman, Les Paton, said he believed most people in the village would be relieved that the power station was not going to be built in the foreseeable future.

"Some people here were in favour of it but most were against it, and the thing we need to know now is what is going to happen to the npower land in the village," he said. "What we would like to see is more housing development, community facilities such as shops and maybe a swimming pool.

"The old power station land needs to be levelled off, cleaned up and new facilities provided for the community. Most people would like to see the idea of a new power station cancelled for good."

Dr David Golding CBE, who heads up the campaign against climate change in the North East and chairs the pressure group Panic Stations (People Against New Coal Stations), has been part of the fight against RWE npower's plans at Cambois.

He said: "This decision is a mini-victory for our climate change campaign, but we are also very concerned for our friends in Cambois. There needs to be some sort of regeneration plan because the village is seeing a planning blight."

Father John Blakesley, the vicar of Cambois and Sleekburn, said: "I am surprised by this but relieved for the people of Cambois, and the local environment.

A lot of people were not looking forward to this happening on the doorstep. I share their concerns about the impacts both on local residents and global warming."

A delegation from Panic Stations met county council leader, Jeff Reid, earlier this week to press for the former power station land in Cambois to be re-designated as a site for 'green, clean' technology and housing - in a bid to ensure a new coal-fired station is not built. RWE npower insists the Cambois site remains important for future power generation, including the possibility of a clean-coal plant.

The company says the site will be kept under review but the time is not right to press ahead with the scheme, given the economic situation and the demand for energy.