Ireland Power Energy's planning permission to build a 400-megawatt power station at Mulhuddart, Dublin 15, has been appealed to An Bord Pleanala by two groups of objectors in the area. The objections were lodged against the consortium - involving Scottish Power and Arco - by Powerston Road and Districts Residents' Association and by a group of three residents in the area on the 19th and 20th of this month, the deadline for appeals.

Contrary to reports that residents were seeking financial compensation, a spokesman for the residents' association, Mr David Ensor, said local people did not want the construction of the plant to go ahead at all.

He said residents were not against the development of the area, and stated that the group had had some discussions with the company. However, he said that the deadline set for appeals had limited the time available for meetings. Ireland Power Energy was not available for comment.

The second group to appeal the decision of Fingal County Council to grant permission to the consortium has requested an oral hearing on the matter which, if granted, will be held in three months.

It was thought that if the consortium had received planning permission without an appeal to An Bord Pleanala, it would have gained an advantage over its competitors.

Dublin Bay Power, the ESB/Statoil consortium, is also expected to build a power station. Given the limited gas supply in Ireland at present, it is believed there is only enough gas capacity to supply one other station apart from this. Avoiding the appeals process, which will take between four and six months to be completed, would have allowed Ireland Power Energy to take the rest of the gas supply.

Two other electricity consortiums, ESB/Statoil and Viridian/ CRH, which received planning permission for generation plants, have both had plans appealed.