PLANS to create a wind farm and hydro-electric power sites in a rural part of the region will be discussed by councillors today.

The Teesdale Renewable Energy Challenge (Trec) was launched in January in a bid to pinpoint sites in Teesdale, County Durham, that could be used to generate natural power.

Northumbrian Water has already launched a study to look at ways of adapting reservoirs in the dale to provide hydro-electric power.

And Amec Wind is trying to identify possible sites for turbines to harness wind power.

So far, five potential hydro-electric power schemes have been identified at Selset, Cowgreen and Balderhead reservoirs, but research is still continuing.

Four potential sites for wind power have been identified, but these have not been made public.

The Forestry Commission is also looking at ways of creating fuels based on wood chips and pellets.

The far-reaching project is being run in conjunction with similar schemes in Ireland, Sweden and Italy.

Officials from each of the organisations hope eventually to provide the vast majority of Teesdale's electricity through natural power.

If the Government is sufficiently impressed with the Trec project, the dale could become a national renewable centrepiece.

Support for the project has come from OneNorthEast, drugs company GlaxoSmithKline, Durham County Council, the University of Northumbria and Teesdale District Council.

Northumbrian Water operation director Henry Wilson said: "There could be significant potential from tapping into the huge water resources available in the dale."

But Teesdale council has already blocked several applications to build wind farms in the dale.

In 1997, members rejected plans to create a £15m wind farm on moorland near Barningham, and a year earlier they refused planning permission for National Wind Power to put up turbines at Cocker Hill.

Members of the social and environmental policy committee will hear a report on the Trec project at a meeting in Barnard Castle today.