A NEW extension to a trading estate in the Yorkshire dales is standing empty because it has no power.

Richmondshire District Council completed the £495,000 extension to the Brunt Acres estate at Hawes late last year and have been waiting since before Christmas for the power supply to be connected.

Buyers are ready to sign up for at least two of the eight serviced plots on offer and the council fears sales may be lost if businesses are unable to move in.

Mr Geoff Herbert, economic development officer, said: "We can not test the pumping station until we have electricity. Northern Electric has known about this for 18 months and we have had to pay full connection charges in advance.

"We have now got to the stage where the site is ready and we have had offers but we can't get on."

Coun John Blackie, chairman of the economic, cultural and leisure committee, whose upper dales ward includes Hawes, said: "It is little short of sharp practice to demand money in advance to put in the power, especially when the job hasn't been done.

"Work should have begun before Christmas and here we are in February and there is still no power to the site."

A spokeswoman for NEDL, the electricity network operator for the North-East and North Yorkshire, said work was on schedule for completion in January but was held up when it was discovered a building had been constructed beneath an overhead power cable.

"Cable laying started in November and was completed before Christmas," she said. "However, in the meantime we identified that a builder had built a property directly under the incoming 11,000-volt overhead line into Hawes North sub-station.

"That was to be used for interconnection to the business park and our plans had to be revised because we had to move that line."

Work was reorganised so connection to the trading estate and diversion of the existing line were carried out together, meaning power to the town was interrupted only once instead of twice.

"The parish council was informed throughout and acknowledged the reasons why we did this and we have kept in touch with Richmondshire District Council. The work is scheduled for completion in March."

The council is to send a letter of complaint to Northern Electric and NEDL, separate companies since the electricity industry was sub-divided last year. The matter is also to be referred to Mr William Hague, Richmond MP.

Work began on site in June last year to provide plots with power, drainage, water and telephone cabling to allow new and growing businesses to build their own premises.