WILLITON is being urged to stand firm and reject controversial proposals that would see a 200-bed hostel and 350-vehicle park and ride facility built on one of two green field sites in the village.

EDF Energy wants the development on land to the west behind Mamsey House residential care home or to the east on fields beyond Catwell for construction workers for the nuclear power station it hopes to build at Hinkley Point.

But local businesswoman Rebecca James, who owns a 17th century country house B and B and holiday home at the end of Catwell, said people should not be under the impression that they had to accept the development on either site.

A pre-application consultation document published by EDF makes it clear the company would be prepared to use compulsory purchase powers if negotiations with landowners fail.

And it also says if neither site is accepted, an alternative will have to be found in the surrounding area.

But Mrs James said a questionnaire being handed out by EDF at the public consultation sessions it is currently staging in areas affected by its proposals give the opportunity to reject both of the earmarked sites.

People in Williton will have the chance to view the proposals and question EDF representatives when the consultation roadshow swings into the village tomorrow (Saturday) from 10am to 4pm at Danesfield Middle School.

"I would urge everybody to take the opportunity to go down and have a look at the plans and to tick the 'neither' box on the questionnaire relating to the Williton proposals," said Mrs James.

"Williton does have a choice - people shouldn't feel they have to say yes to this."

Mrs James said she had serious concerns about flooding issues on both sites, as well as the ability of the local road network to cope with the increased traffic.

"In the week that EDF published this document, we had three serious accidents - including one fatality - on both the A358 and the A39.

"I don't believe what EDF wants to do in Williton will benefit the village at all.

"I accept that I will be greatly affected by one of the options but this isn't about not wanting it in my back yard.

"I have been contacted by lots of people who are concerned about the implications of this proposal and we need to be brave and tell EDF that we don't want it in Catwell or behind Mamsey."

Mrs James said people had to be prepared to come up with alternatives and "think outside the box".

She said suggestions so far included using the former Rydon waste tip for the park and ride and mooring a second-hand cruise ship to house construction workers alongside a new pier EDF intends to construct at Hinkley to bring in raw materials for the construction of the power station.

In a separate initiative, villager John Holden, a near neighbour of Mrs James, has delivered 1,200 leaflets to homes in the village asking people to say which of the two earmarked sites they would prefer.

Mr Holden said the Mamsey land would affect less people and be less harmful to the countryside, while the fields beyond Catwell were beautiful and well-used and should not be "squandered" on hostel-type accommodation and a park and ride.

"I was asked by a lot of people to do this," he said. "As far as I can see, it is a done deal and EDF has made it quite clear that one of the sites will have to be chosen."

Meanwhile, Cllr Hugh Davies, a Williton ward member on West Somerset Council, said he had been told that Williton could benefit from millions of pounds in community benefit from EDF.

"If this money is going to be available it is important that local people have the chance to say what they want it spent on.

"It has been suggested that we could have a village hall or swimming pool but this needs to be decided properly, with everybody having a chance to say what is needed."