RESIDENTS of a west Cumbrian village are disappointed after plans to halt a power station were overturned.

Balance Power Projects was refused permission to build the gas-powered facility on land off Stainburn Road, Great Clifton, by Allerdale council.

The project was initially rejected in January and again in March.

But the Secretary of State overturned the council's decision, giving the peaking plant the go-ahead.

Malcolm Fee, chairman of Great Clifton parish council, said he was disappointed with the Secretary of State's decision.

He said: "The main concern is the fumes. Prevailing wind would blow the fumes right over the village. The site is also farmland and once you give it away you can't replace it."

Celia Perry, a parish councillor, said: "It's not something we want or need. The fumes will be heading straight towards the residents living on Riverside and it will be awful.

"Somebody down in London hasn't got a clue about the effect this can have on a village like ours. They don't realise how rural this area is and to put it on a greenfield site, you're never going to get that land back."

The peaking plant - designed to stabilise energy supply as the UK moves to more renewable energy - would not operate all the time but begin generating electricity to the National Grid when there is a drop in energy.

This allows greater contribution from intermittent renewable energy generators, including on shore wind farms and solar farms.

Allerdale Council had rejected the project, saying it was inappropriate, non-essential and with significant harmful impacts on the landscape setting, visual and residential amenity with no sustainable benefits that would outweigh such harm.

But the planning inspectorate noted: "The nearest residential properties in Great Clifton are about 200m north east of the site. In addition, there are properties about half a kilometre to the west at Stainburn Hall Farm and a similar distance to the east along Stainburn Road.

"Due to these distances, I find that very few properties would be directly affected by the proposal with regard to the general visual and residential amenity of the occupiers."

In his report, the inspector also said Government policies indicate applicants for these types of developments do not have to demonstrate overall need for such proposals.

The plans include construction of four generators, an associated flue stack, two transformers, a service road, an oil tank, a welfare cabin, a switchgear cabin, a substation and a gas governor with landscaping at the site.

Balance Power Projects will also erect similar facilities at Aspatria Business Park and land at Manelli House, Penrith and land at Calthwaite, also Penrith.