What is Villagers' Voice Staffordshire Moorlands?

Villagers' Voice Staffordshire Moorlands is an action group set up to fight against proposals to build a 1,000-Megawatt power station in Cresswell, a small village in the Staffordshire Moorlands.

Blythe Park Power, a joint venture between Uttoxeter businessman Malcolm Barrett and consultants from Parsons Brinckerhoff, want to develop a green field in the village with plans to create a plant that will turn gas into enough electricity for 1.8 million homes.

The site is near to an existing industrial park owned by Mr Barrett and they claim it will help address the UK's energy shortage and create up to 1,000 jobs during the three years during over which it would take to build. It will employ between 100 and 150 people when it is completed.

The finished building is expected to be 30 metres tall with two chimneys standing up to 55 metres high - almost the height of Nelson's Column in London.

However, we believe the proposals are completely inappropriate for the village, with permission leading to disastrous consequences for the local community, nearby wildlife and ecology, as well as generating dangerous levels of traffic in a village with a population of 300 people.

We have already garnered support from our local MP Bill Cash and councillors from the district and county council and are now working in detail to draw up our objections to any tabled planning application.