THE future of land snapped up by the company behind plans for a new Oldbury B nuclear power station is in doubt after its shock withdrawal from the project.
Created by power giants RWE and Eon to head the controversial proposal, Horizon built up a large landholding at Shepperdine, near Thornbury, in order to build a much bigger atomic station next to the existing plant.
Those living in the area are now questioning what will happen to that land and are waiting to see if a new owner will be found for Horizon.
RWE and Eon said they were looking for a buyer to ensure Horizon's assets and development work already carried out could be taken up quickly by other potential investors.
Huge costs involved in building nuclear stations, which take years to develop and have long payback periods, coupled with the global economic crisis, was behind the decision to pull out.
Vast decommissioning costs surrounding the accelerated closure of atomic plants in Germany, after the Fukushima crisis in Japan, also played a part.
But while those who welcomed RWE and Eon's announcement are celebrating, they remain anxious that another builder will step in.
Meanwhile, those supporting a new station are concerned that a project that promised thousands of new jobs could be lost.
Oldbury is one of a number of sites around the country which the Government said was suitable for potential new stations to meet energy demands. But a final decision on whether permission would be given to include Oldbury in the new nuclear programme was a long way off.
Alan Pinder, spokesman for the South Gloucestershire branch of Friends of the Earth, said: "We are overjoyed by this decision. Oldbury was never a suitable site for a nuclear power station of this size.
"We said from the beginning that new nuclear was not viable without subsidies and the Oldbury costs would be even more because cooling towers would be needed."
Reg Illingworth, of Shepperdine Against Nuclear Energy (SANE), said: "Nuclear is a costly and dangerous business. As well as current economic pressures, the problems at Fukushima and the ongoing unparalleled issue of waste disposal and storage show that nuclear is the worst choice in any environment."
SANE plans to be at the forthcoming Eon and RWE shareholders' conferences to thank board members and shareholders. But Mr Illingworth said he was concerned that another overseas energy company could buy Horizon. SANE also wants to know if the Government will change its mind about giving subsidies for nuclear generation.
Malcolm Lynden, chairman of the site stakeholders group at the existing Oldbury plant, said there had been other parties interested in Oldbury B during the original bidding process and they could return.
He said: "Horizon has an asset in the land. I wouldn't have thought it would pull out unless it had some indication it might be able to sell."
Mike Clancy, general secretary-designate of the Prospect union, said: "New build would have provided skilled employment in construction, manufacturing and throughout the supply chain for decades to come."
Severn councillor Matthew Riddle said residents already concerned about flooding and cooling towers if a station were built now faced more uncertainty. He said: "We don't know who, if anyone, can raise the money to build it, or whether a different form of power generation will now be considered for the site."
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