PLANS for a power plant on greenbelt land in Wirral have been withdrawn following hundreds of complaints from concerned residents.

The proposals would have seen a gas-fired electricity generation plant and infrastructure built on land in Eastham, but received hundreds of objections within days of being published.

That figure totalled more than 400 because of concerns not only about the greenbelt, but also the proximity of the development, which would have seen 13 gas generators within a steel-framed building on land at Ferry Road, to homes in Eastham.

Developers UK Power Reserve said they now want to build their "low carbon" plant on another plot of land on Banksfield Drive, off the green belt, and further away from homes.

Eastham councillor Dave Mitchell said: "I can see that the company has had a good hard look at the objections still coming in from the first application in the green belt, and had a change of heart, as the new place for the plant should have been looked at in the first place – the site is well away from all residential properties and hidden well into the industrial part of the canal.

"This is a much better place for this type of development."

Speaking after the change of plans were announced, a spokeswoman for the developers said: "UK Power Reserve understands the importance of fostering and maintaining good community relations and always looks to minimise the impact of its assets on the community at the same time as ensuring the lights stay on for local residents.

"All of the feedback supplied to us at the first planning application has been listened to and carefully considered in making this new development."

She said the plant was "in line with the Government’s policy of increasing the security of supply to domestic, business and industrial electricity users".

She added: "As the UK transitions to a system that includes increased volumes of renewable energy generation, the nation needs rapid response gas engine units as back up in order to respond to fluctuating demands on the national grid system.

"Our assets are positioned to provide exactly that and are only brought on line when needed.

"They do not run 24 hours a day. Neither do they create significant noise or take up a lot of land.”

According to the planning statement submitted with the initial application, the plant’s harm to the environment would have been "negligible" as it would be on vacant land "within an area characterised by predominantly industrial uses".

The area in question was around half a hectare, the statement added, on "unmanaged poor semi-improved neutral grassland, encroached by tall ruderal herbs and scrub".

But it was opposed by Wirral’s Eastham councillors, who said the loss of the "semi rural, popular" area with "wonderful" views across the River Mersey would have been "devastating".

Responding to the news of the application withdrawal, fellow Eastham councillor Chris Carubia said: "This really is the only sensible outcome to a preposterous proposal."

The new plans are expected to be submitted to Wirral council over the coming weeks.