Any plans to reintroduce a new coal or biomass station at Hunterston must be fought against, argues a local councillor, as an important consultation on the future of Hunterston comes up this week.

North Coast Councillor Alan Hill has called for people to turn out in numbers to the proposed planning event being held by Peel Ports at the Seamill Hydro this coming Thursday (22 February) between 2 and 7pm.

Cllr Hill said: “By far and away the biggest need in North Ayrshire is for good local employment but this cannot be jobs at any price. Some of what Peel Ports are proposing for Hunterston looks like it could be a good idea moving forward however not everything is to be welcomed.

"Proposals for chemical storage and processing may run the risk of contamination to our local shoreline and the SSSI surrounding this site is already much diminished and we must work hard to protect what is left.

"Whilst some power generation by, for example, solar power may be a useful addition to the site, any attempt to seek to reintroduce a new coal or biomass power station is something which I am sure most people locally would be opposed to.

"Similarly decommissioning covers a huge spectrum in terms of what might happen here. It is hard to imagine Hunterston attracting much in the way of the lucrative north sea decommissioning just due to geography. What I would not wish to see though was a rush to accept any form of decommissioning just so that Peel Ports can make money from this site.

"The decommissioning of nuclear submarines is something which I am sure everyone locally would be very much against. Can we get cast iron assurances that this kind of use is off the table for ever?

"Whilst I would be pleased to see some good quality jobs at Hunterston it is essential that nothing happens on this site which in any way would damage local tourism. Visitors come to the North Coast to sail, to walk and to visit our wonderful natural environment. We must ensure that nothing happens to endanger that.

"I would urge people to go along to the event in the Hydro and to look at the proposals and make up their own minds about things. If, like me, they have concerns then these need to be voiced and fed into the planning process.

"We must ensure that we do not allow ourselves to sleep walk into something which could be to the severe detriment of our local environment. Once damaged, it will be extremely difficult to restore. The effects in the longer term could very well outweigh any short term economic benefit from the Hunterston site.”