Environment group's victory over Kingsnorth

The World Development Movement (WDM) spent two years campaigning with other like-minded groups against moves to build the coal-fired power station at Kingsnorth in Kent.

Electricity firm EON announced on Monday that it has shelved the plans.

Christina Lucey, from the WDM's Bexhill and Hastings branch, said: "We are absolutely delighted that the Government has backed down and agreed to put the plans on hold for 10 years.

"If it had gone ahead it would have destroyed and undermined all the efforts the country is making to cut down on carbon emissions.

"Until a safe way of dealing with the carbon capture is developed it would be just madness to go ahead with a coal-fired power station."

Kirsty Wright, also from the WDM, said: "This is a significant victory for the campaigners in the UK and across the world.

"Climate change threatens to unfairly wreck the lives of millions of the world's poorest people. We need to make good our promises to cut our emissions here in the UK, and take leadership in tackling climate change globally.

"Coal is the dirtiest way to generate electricity and Kingsnorth alone would have produced more CO2 per year than Tanzania."

The WDM's Bexhill and Hastings branch will be showing the hard-hitting climate change film 'The Age of Stupid' at St Mary Magdalene Church Hall, Bexhill on November 7.

Tickets are 2 and there will be a matinee showing at 2.30pm and another screening from 7.30pm.

The film is a drama which stars Pete Postlethwaite as a man living alone in the devastated world of 2055, watching archive footage from 2008 and asking why people did not stop climate change when they had the chance.

To book tickets call Mrs Lucey on 01424 845225.