Weardale energy village plans get the OK

Nov 13 2009 by Amy Hunt, The Journal

HUNDREDS of jobs will be created in the construction of one of the greenest villages in England.

Planners paved the way for the Eastgate Renewable Energy Village in Weardale, County Durham, in September and now the Government has waved the application through.

A cable car, dry-tobogganing course and a spa using natural hot springs will be built in Eastgate after Government officials gave the green light.

Comprising 65 homes, a hotel, spa and a cable car, the village hopes to be the only place in the country to use all five forms of land-based energy available in the UK – wind, solar, biomass, hydro and geothermal – to provide green and clean power.

The Weardale Task Force, which has been promoting the proposal, hopes it will improve the future prospects of Eastgate, which was left devastated by the closure of the Lafarge cement works in 2002.

They say the plans should create up to 350 permanent jobs and attract thousands of visitors a year.

A total of 118 letters of support and 112 objections were sent to Durham County Council over the plans. Opponents said it would destroy the tranquility of the area.

Councillors on the authority’s planning committee went with recommendations from officers to approve the scheme, saying the proposals would help improve education, skills and job prospects for people in Weardale.