Eye Airfield gas-fired power plant proposal from Progress Power

The airfield already has two wind turbines and a chicken litter power plant

A new £200m power plant could turn a rural part of Suffolk into an "electricity-generating hub", it has been claimed.

Progress Power is proposing to build a gas-fired power station at the Eye Airfield industrial estate.

The firm said it would provide electricity for 400,000 homes and 30 jobs when it was operational.

Andrew Stringer, a Green Mid Suffolk district councillor, called for a "clearer" energy strategy.

"It's concerning because our part of rural Suffolk is turning into the electricity-generating hub for London - which is where the extra capacity is needed," he said.

New pylons

"We need a clearer national strategy as it's turning into an energy free-for-all."

Local parish councils said they had questions about whether new pylons would have to be built.

David Prior, chairman of Brome and Oakley Parish Council, said: "I'm not convinced there would be a large number of jobs for local people, because they'll bring in their own technical people from elsewhere.

"We also have concerns about how it will be linked to the National Grid on the other side of the A140 and whether we'll have to look at new pylons from our houses."

The power firm said the 299-megawatt plant would take gas from the nearby National Gas Transmission System and feed electricity into the National Grid.

The airfield industrial estate already has two wind turbines and a chicken litter-powered electricity plant.

'Minimum disturbance'

Chris McKerrow, project manager for Progress, said: "A significant number of coal and oil-fired power stations in the UK are set to close.

"The proposed scheme would be more efficient and produce energy much more cleanly than the coal and oil-fired power stations it would replace.

"We will do our utmost to ensure the plant will cause the minimum disturbance locally, both during construction and operation."

The power company said it would hold public consultations before submitting a planning application to Mid Suffolk District Council.

The firm said it had been in discussions with the National Grid about connecting the plant to the existing power line a mile away and further discussions would form part of the consultation.

The first public exhibition is at Eye Community Centre, 17-18 May.

The plant could be operational by 2018.