The first stage of a planning process to build a coal-fired power station in Ayrshire is to get under way on Monday.

Ayrshire Power wants to build a power station with experimental carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology on a site at Hunterston near Largs.

If its proposal succeeds, the plant would be the first in the UK.

Environmentalists are campaigning against the plans, claiming it sends the wrong message about Scotland's energy future.

CCS technology would remove carbon dioxide produced by the coal-fired station. This would then be turned into liquid using chemicals and stored underground.

'Not proven'

Juliet Swann, head of campaigns at Friends of the Earth Scotland, said: "Carbon capture and storage is potentially a way to reach a low-carbon future.

"However, the carbon benefits are not yet proven and in any case it should be demonstrated on existing plants first, not least so we can share the technology with the rest of the world and in doing so repay our debt to them for supplying us with so much of our dirty energy.

"We are also concerned that this application is being made at a time when the inclusion of Hunterston in the national planning framework is the subject of a legal challenge.

"We would suggest Ayrshire Power should undertake a full and comprehensive local and national consultation, given the implications of this development both on the local area and the national ambition to move to a clean energy future."

The proposals, drawn up by energy company Ayrshire Power, owned by Peel Energy Ltd, are for a site between the existing Clydeport coal handling facility at the Hunterston Terminal, and the Hunterston B nuclear power plant.

The plans will be formally submitted to the Scottish Government's Energy Consents Unit on Monday.

It will then enter a "gate checking" phase while the government ensures all the information needed for a full assessment of the proposals is included, before being put forward for public consultation.

The company said it would "use highly efficient modern technology with strict emissions control", with 90% of carbon from the plant being captured, and reducing coal consumption by up to 25%.

If approved, the new facility could meet the energy needs of 3 million homes, Ayrshire power said.

It also claimed that the new power station would generate a "significant" number of jobs in the area, with up to 1,600 people being employed during construction and 160 permanent jobs when the power station is running.</p

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Tourism chiefs in Cumbria are encouraging people to "tweet" online should they spot a blooming daffodil in the Lake District.

The daffodils, made famous by William Wordsworth, are more than a month late this year following the cold winter.

One of the most famous places to see daffodils in Cumbria is Dora's Field in Rydal near Ambleside.

The "Daffs Watch" appeal asks people to use the social networking site Twitter to point to where they are blooming.

Eric Robson, Chairman of Cumbria Tourism, said: "It's virtually unheard of not to have seen a single daffodil in the Lake District by the middle of March.

"It's an industry of its own with visitors coming here just to see them by the lakesides.

"The upside is that because they are late, it means they should be out and looking their best for the Easter holidays."

Peter Elkington lives at Rydal Mount and Gardens, which is Wordsworth's former home and a visitor attraction open to the public.

Mr Elkington, the curator, said there were plenty of daffodils in Dora's Field but no signs yet of any blooming.

Dora's Field was named after Wordsworth's daughter Dora, who died in 1847.

William Wordsworth lived at Rydal Mount for 37 years until his death in April 1850. </p

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.