GOVERNMENT support for biomass has been maintained – as plans are drawn up for a huge plant in Southampton.

Helius Energy wants to build the £300m, 100mw wood-burning plant at Western Docks.

People living in the Freemantle and Millbrook areas are to be polled on the plans in a referendum in November.

Yesterday the Government announced its new range of subsidies for renewable energy technologies, with no change to the ‘dedicated biomass’ category of power generation.

There was a ten per cent cut in support for onshore wind farms – lower than expected, after Tory MPs called for a 25 per cent reduction.