THE problem with the derelict former Huncoat power station site has not been a shortage of ideas on what to do with it, but bringing them to fruition.

Remember the scheme for a ski slope there? And the ambitious Zeri leisure and recreation park plan?

The upshot of the failure of these ventures and problems over land ownership has been that for too long the site was first an eyesore and then a wasteland.

But now comes a new idea to turn it into a revolutionary "eco park" for business and industry in the North West.

Huncoat could become a research centre for commercial applications of alternative energies like wind, water and solar power - all of it set in attractive parkland with a lake, providing a habitat for wildlife.

And one particular charm of the plan is that of turning an unattractive site into a "green" island that seeks to promote "clean" energy for the region's firms.

The blueprint we glimpse today is futuristic and attractive - and one that we hope that brings a green and pleasant solution to this blot on our landscape.

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