Plans for a £200 million "green" power station at Avonmouth have been given full support by Bristol city councillors.

They decided to back the biomass plant, which would produce enough electricity to supply a city nearly half the size of Bristol.

They are recommending approval for the scheme to the Government's Department of Energy and Climate Control which will make the final decision.

Councillors on the north area planning committee were told that a quayside site had been chosen so most of the fuel for the plant could be transported by sea.

The main boiler house for the plant will stand nearly 200ft high, while a chimney stack will rise to nearly 300ft.

The biomass plant would use mostly wood products, such as chippings, offcuts, peelings and bark for fuel.

The 18-acre site is north of St Andrew's Road railway station and the nearest homes are about two-thirds of a mile away from the site.

The new plant would create about 40 jobs and a further 60 jobs in the Avonmouth area.