Battle call over gas plant scheme

The application by Moorland Energy for a gas processing facility in a field off Hurrell Lane, near Thornton-le-Dale, Ryedale, sparked fury among residents when it was first unveiled in March.

The company also wants permission to lay pipelines between the facility and the drilling site at Ebberston and to build a new access road from the A170 to the processing plant.

It is believed the development will cost up to 50m.

Hundreds of residents from villages across the area have already formed three protest groups in opposition to the scheme, which they claim will clog the roads with heavy industrial traffic, and will be an eyesore which will turn tourists away from the area.

Campaigner Janet Sanderson, who has lived in Thornton-le-Dale for the past 20 years, said: "They are trying to sneak this through, but now the plans have gone in we are stepping up the fight.

"We don't want to see this scheme and despite the public consultation there are a lot of questions and answers that still need to be asked.

"The whole village is against this, we have already collected 500 names on a petition and have only just got started.

"The area is very popular among tourists and there are always people walking their dogs along the road where the site is to be built.

"They say it will be screened but my house is less than 1.2 miles away from the development and I don't believe this.

"This will also impact on the national park and see a huge increase in large-scale industrial traffic carting chemicals to and from the site.

"We know there are large pockets of gas across the area and are not against them being taking up, but we are against this development when there are much more suitable sites elsewhere."

The company announced it intended to build the site after undergoing exploratory work last year.

It unveiled the plans at two public consultation events, for residents in Thornton-le-Dale, Wilton, Ebberston and Allerston at the start of last month.

A member of Ryedale District Council's policy and resources committee, Geoffrey Acomb, said: "I have lived in the area for 30 years and have never seen a development of this size before.

"There is no industrial development in this area, the nearest site is Pickering

"It is a very emotive issue, and there were hundreds of people who attended the public consultation events.

"I know in Wilton up to 70 per cent of the residents are against the development.

"I have seen pictures of the plant and there is a 15-metre high chimney for burning off gas, but we have been told the flame will be at the bottom."

The company has assured residents that emissions would be negligible and would not have any impact on people or the surrounding environment.

It also says tree planting will screen the plant and noise will not carry beyond the site.

It is expected the gas supplies identified would give the plant a lifespan of a minimum 20 years and the company says it has installed a "sunset clause", where the plant will be removed once the gas has gone.

The plans have been submitted to North Yorkshire County Council and the North York Moors National Park Authority.

Should the planning application be granted, the company plans to begin construction during 2011 for the plant to become fully operational by early 2013, creating about 150 temporary jobs during construction and about 25 permanent jobs once production starts.