A VITAL battle has begun over plans to build a £50 million gas processing plant on the edge of Thornton-le-Dale.

Residents who attended the start of the 12-day hearing at the North York Moors National Park headquarters in Helmsley heard the project by Moorland Energy Ltd could provide energy to more than 100,000 homes.

But opponents claimed it would scar the landscape for ever.

Edward Simpson, of the Government’s planning inspectorate, said at the end of the inquiry he would report his findings to Communities and Local Government Secretary, Eric Pickles, who would make the final decision.

Michael Humphries QC, for Moorland Energy, said in his opening submission: “The scheme is brought forward at a time of very real stress in the UK’s energy market.

“Beneath the North York Moors National Park, there are substantial natural gas reserves. “The very genuine concerns of many local residents of the local impacts really are very modest.”

But Sasha White, counsel for North Yorkshire County Council, said: “This is a project of very significant consequences, within a very sensitive location.”

He believed Moorland Energy’s project was “still undefined and vague”.

The plant would produce 283,286 cubic metres a day, but have the capacity to process up to 1.1 million cubic metres daily.