A planning application has been submitted for a pioneering new green power plant at Coppards Lane.

The new Combined Heat and Power plant will generate energy for around 6,000 homes in the area and create new jobs for five people if it gets the go-ahead.

The plant will be fuelled using forestry wood chip sourced from the South East of England.

The power generated is believed to equate to 16% of the household requirement within the boundaries of Rother District Council.

The plans have been drawn up by AHS Energy, which is already one of the UK's largest suppliers of woodchip to the emerging biomass industry.

In a joint statement, this week, managing director Nick Guest and commercial director Paul Davenport said: "The proposed plant represents a fantastic opportunity for AHS to be part of the drive to reduce the UK's carbon footprint.

"Our plans mean that Northiam would be the first village in the country to use green energy from its own CHP plant.

"AHS will be working with local tree surgeons, forestry companies and private landowners, encouraging new woodland management and supporting local initiatives to encourage coppicing as a source of fuel supply, which in turn will lead to new employment opportunities."

The Government has set a target of 10,000 mega-watts of combined heat and power generation by 2010.

The proposed plant will have a thermal capacity of about 16MW with an electrical generating capacity of about 4.5MW, generating green energy for approximately 8,000 hours per year.

The plans will be discussed in detail by Rother District Council's planning committee in the coming months.