A SCHEME to build a controversial waste plant in the heart of a north Winchester village has been withdrawn, Michael Carr writes.

Campaigners spoke of their "immense relief" after Clean Power Properties dropped its long-opposed plans for an energy recovery centre in Micheldever Station.

The facility, using, 150,000 tons of waste and a bio-digester with 50-60,000 tones of plant material, was due to be referred to the national planning inspector.

Up to 30 permanent jobs and 180 construction positions would have been created, but residents claimed it would be intrusive and damage local ecology.

Adrian Bates, chairman of Micheldever Action Group, which fought the proposal for three-and-a-half years, said he was delighted.

He said: “It is an immense relief to the people of Micheldever Station, this would have been a huge technical plant smack bang in the middle of the village and nobody would have welcomed that, even one engineer designing it said to me that they would not want to live next to it.”

“It is a real victory for the people of Micheldever Station we had huge support from villagers themselves who showed their opposition to the plan by writing 400 written submissions against the plant.”

Mr Bates does not know why Clean Power Properties pulled out, but he believes that it may because of government policy change on subsidising green power.

The firm did not respond to a request for comment.

Mr Bates added: “We do not know the technical reason for the withdrawal but we think the reason is commercial due to government subsidies being scaled down.

Winchester MP Steve Brine praised the decision. He said: “What a smart decision this is from the applicant. From the very start this has been a model of how not to work with a local community on what was always going to be a controversial proposal.

“My constituents in Micheldever Station didn't want their community to be the repository for waste from across Hampshire and I don't blame them. The Action Group, and Adrian Bates especially, have done a terrific job for which we are all very grateful."