PEOPLE in Williton - threatened with living in the shadow of a controversial workers' hostel and park and ride development - are being urged to make their views known at a community planning day in the village on Monday (April 12).

French energy company EDF has already held a series of meetings about its plans for a third nuclear power station at Hinkley Point on the West Somerset coast and a range of associated developments - including the Williton proposals.

But Monday's drop-in event at St Peter's First School in the village - details of which were only released a few days ago - is being staged by the Community Council for Somerset on behalf of West Somerset Council and Sedgemoor District Council.

It is one of a series of events being held across the two districts to help the councils draw up a local impact report on the EDF proposals.

And organisers say the aim is to give people the chance to share their thoughts on all aspects of the EDF scheme, how it affects areas and what should be done to minimise any negative aspects.

They say they want to understand how the nuclear project might influence long term plans communities have for their areas and to ensure that communities have a comprehensive understanding of the scale and nature of the EDF proposals.

West Somerset Council chairman Cllr Eddie May, who represents Williton, told the monthly meeting of the parish council this week that Monday's event was an opportunity for local people to effectively name their price if the hostel and park and ride facility - to serve construction workers for the proposed power station - were built.

"If this is pressed on you, you want to get something out of it," said Cllr May.

"You want to get something out of a bad job."

But parish councillors were less than happy with accepting the EDF proposals for Williton without a fight.

Chairman Cllr Rosemary Woods and Cllr David Chadwick represented the council at a meeting at the end of March - the forerunner to Monday's event - to look at ideas and projects to mitigate the impact of the scheme.

Cllr Woods said she felt the organisers of that meeting were trying to "sell" the hostel and park and ride scheme.

"They were trying to say we should find projects to mitigate them but we were not sold on it.

"We have put our point of view to EDF and I don't think the village itself wants hostel accommodation or a park and ride.

"The feeling we were given is that we have to be realistic because they might come here anyway - but we don't want to be realistic."

Cllr Chadwick said he believed the March meeting had tried to put " a lot of psychological pressure" on those attending to come up with ideas.

"We were told we should find projects that would allow EDF to give us some sort of compensation," he said.

EDF has yet to publish its final plans following its round of consultation so Cllr Chadwick said people would have to make their comments on the original scheme unveiled: "But we need to put forward our views in every way we can."

He said despite all the consultation, the Government, through the newly formed Independent Planning Commission, could still choose to override local feeling and impose the Hinkley C scheme on West Somerset.

"It is up to Williton to come up with cogent arguments and strong reasons why it doesn't want the associated development here and it has to be more than just 'nimbyism'.

"If we don't want it, we have to say why."

However, councillors agreed that within the next month or so they would discuss what legacy they would like to see if the EDF scheme goes ahead.

The community planning day will run from 9am to 7pm and people will be able to discuss the issues with representatives on a one-to-one basis.