A Scottish council will release its recommendation on a proposal for a new coal-fired power station.

North Ayrshire Council is meeting on Wednesday afternoon to discuss plans for the station based at Hunterston.

Ayrshire Power wants to build the station at the site and, if approved, it would be the first new coal-fired power station to be built since the 1970s.

The proposed plant would use carbon capture and storage technology which removes CO2 emissions and pipes the gas underground.

The company, owned by Peel Energy, said the proposed coal and biomass fuel station could meet the needs of up to three million homes. It said the development would employ up to 1,600 people at the height of construction and around 160 once the site is up and running.

But the proposal faces strong opposition, with more objections lodged than any other development in Scottish planning history, according to an environmental charity.

More than 20,000 people have signed a petition to stop the plant at Hunterston with a large proportion of the signatories living in the local area.

WWF Scotland and the RSPB Scotland expect the council to reject the proposals following a recommendation to do so from the solicitor to North Ayrshire Council.

Speaking ahead of the announcement Dr Richard Dixon, director of WWF Scotland said: "The conclusions to reject this proposal by officials at North Ayrshire Council were based on a thorough assessment of the proposal.

"From local wildlife and tourism impacts to climate change emissions, this is the wrong proposal in the wrong place. We urge all councillors to support the report's findings, and its clear conclusion to reject this development."

Aedan Smith, head of planning and development for RSPB Scotland, said: "This meeting is a crucial milestone in our two-year campaign against this damaging proposal. Some 21,000 people have now objected to the plans, more than any other application in Scottish history.

"This speaks volumes and is a clear sign to North Ayrshire councillors, Scottish ministers and the developers that this project is not wanted or needed."

The recommendation from the council is expected after a meeting at 2pm. The final decision on the plant will be made by the Scottish Government.