PROPOSALS to build a gas-fired station on farmland have been resubmitted after being rejected by councillors earlier this year.

Enso Energy has resubmitted its plans for a power station on land between Durham Lane and the North West Industrial Estate, near Peterlee.

A similar plan was rejected by a Durham County Council planning committee in May after councillors described the proposal as “an eyesore” and said it should be on a brown field site, rather than farmland.

The scheme has been revised so it contains 34 gas engines, instead of the 40 initially planned for. Enso Energy says the engines are more efficient, so will have the same output and as a result, it needs 17 transformers, instead of 20.

The company says the new scheme will have “substantially lower” concentrations of air emissions and will include a new hedge to screen it from the north and west.

The station would be used to manage unforeseen increases in demand, providing power at times of low electricity supply and would be a back-up at times of high demand.

Councillors had rejected the scheme because they said it would result in a loss of farmland.

But Enso says the site is the most suitable in the area due to its location with connections to the gas and electricity grid and industrial estate.