Eye: Residents’ group criticises gas power station plan for Eye Airfield

The company behind a £200million power station earmarked to be built in Suffolk has defended itself against accusations it has not done enough to inform people about the proposals.

Progress Power wants to construct the gas-fired station on Eye Airfield and says it has done more than what is required to inform communities.

But the residents’ group, Common Concern, which has been set up to inform people about the plans, say it now has hundreds of members interested in its arguments.

Progress Power had claimed to have delivered 19,000 information leaflets to residents about the power plant. But Common Concern claims, after carrying out research in the Mellis and Yaxley villages, that hundreds of leaflets were not delivered.

Hilary Butler, from the group, said: “The public consultation seems to have missed a lot of the public for what ever reason.

“People have not realised what they want to develop –it says ‘energy for the future’ on the front of the leaflets but that does not say anything about the proposed power station or public consultation.”

She also has concerns, as the plans will be decided by the government because the project is of “national significance”, that people’s views in Suffolk will not be heard.

Paul Taylor, a spokesman for Progress Power, said it had been “regrettable” the distribution of leaflets had been “patchy”.

“When we realised the leaflets did not get to some homes we did an extra drop in Mellis and we had an extra public exhibition in Yaxley,” he said.

“There has been various channels of communication to make people aware of the project.”

He said although the formal consultation was over, people could still write in with their views.