TEN years after the TEN years after the cement works at Eastgate in Weardale closed with the loss of almost 200 jobs, Duncan Leatherdale gets an update on plans for a renewable energy village on the site

IT was to be the project to beat all projects, the job creator and magnet that would attract thousands of visitors to this often-overlooked but beautiful part of the world.

But once plans for the Mr Bean-themed entertainment park were quietly binned, attention turned to the creation of one of the most significant eco-projects in the country.

Plans were approved in 2009 for the creation of an eco-village on the cement works site, which currently consists of a giant concrete slab scarring the dale floor and an unseen quarry face biting into the hills behind.

The village would have 65 homes, a hotel and business units as well as leisure and entertainment facilities, but most impressively of all it was to be powered by all five forms of land-based renewable energy including geothermal water naturally heated in the rocks below.

Critics, including members of Stanhope Parish Council, labelled the village ‘Eco-Disney’ due to their belief that it would never take off.

They claimed it was too ambitious and would never materialise, and even if it did the increase in traffic and visitors would make dale life unbearable.

The eco-village would have dwarfed existing Eastgate, but supporters said the jobs, money and positives for other business set to benefit from more people visiting Weardale would far outweigh any negatives.

As things stand however, the eco-village remains an idea, and the latest comments from Lafarge show that any forward movement remains some way off.

Early work has included geothermal drilling and exploration, but estimations - given at the time that planning permission was granted - that the site would be complete by 2021 are way off.

The project was managed by Lafarge, former regional development agency One North East and Durham County Council, but due to Government spending cuts (and after almost £2m had already been spent on preparing the project), it ground to a halt in 2010.

Many of Lafarge’s people who were working on the Eastgate project have been switched to other jobs, including the company’s giant joint venture with Tarmac UK.

Lafarge’s Weardale project manager, Lloyd McInally said: “We recognise that this anniversary (the closure of the works) is a significant milestone in terms of the history of the site and Lafarge continues to maintain a presence in the area.

“We remain committed to the outline plans for a renewable energy village at Eastgate.

“However, the company first has significant challenges to work through: major projects like Eastgate take a huge amount of effort to bring together and the majority of our work has taken place during the severe economic conditions the UK has been facing over recent years.

“At this stage, against the backdrop of all these business challenges, we are not able to give a more detailed update on plans for the former Weardale Works site.”

Ten years after gates were locked behind the last wagon load of cement to leave, it seems it will be a while before any work trucks are going back in.