No sooner has one scheme for a power plant been withdrawn but another one has turned up in a different part of the district.

UK Power Reserve, the company behind the plan for a proposed electricity generating plant at Alban Park in St Albans, has submitted a planning application for a gas-fired power plant on Green Belt land owned by the district council off Watling Street in Park Street.

According to Paul King, of Old Orchard, who is leading the campaign against the latest application, UK Power Reserve made no effort to contact local residents about the plan.

He went on: “UK Power Reserve appear to attempt to ‘get in under the radar’ by submitting planning applications out of the blue, without consulting or even notifying local residents.

“In this instance it is unfortunate that the council have also not informed many residents that are closest to the proposed plant. Whilst technically not breaching their minimum legal obligations, residents of the properties closest to the proposed plant have not been informed, despite them being only 120m away and being the subject for the noise assessment.”

UK Power Reserve is a private company that builds and purchases small power plants across the country. It is currently attempting to gain approval for another plant in Bushey which has generated objections from over 1,000 residents.

Park Street district councillors Aislinn Lee and Steve Bowes-Phipps have voiced their opposition to the Park Street proposal and Paul added: “This is yet another assault on the Green Belt by a company looking to capitalise on the generous power industry subsidies.

“They appear to have selected this land because it is council owned and near a sub-station. There must be far more suitable locations for such a plant, for example on derelict land on industrial estates which is where the power generated would actually be used and there would be no disturbance to residents.

“There is absolutely no justification for this sort of complex to be built on Green Belt land.”

Paul urged concerned residents to email him at greenbelt@gmx.com and also write or email the council regarding planning application 5/2014/2452.