The Hunterston coal terminal is described as an "eyesore"

It is hoped that a new dockland at Hunterston could transform the area into the main trans-shipment point for Western Europe.

Any such development would also create about 250 jobs.

However residents living in the nearby village of Fairlie say a new dockland is the last thing the Ayrshire coast needs and that they already have to put up with an "eyesore" coal terminal there.

The Hunterston project is also facing competition from Scapa Flow in Orkney.

Hunterston has the natural advantage of 40 metres of deep water and it would not need dredging, unlike the already congested Thames Ports, Rotterdam or Hamburg.

With two-thirds of world trade now said to be transported by container, Clydeport PLC and North Ayrshire Council both believe Hunterston has the potential to be Western Europe's main container terminal.

Clydeport said its initial studies had shown that a large-scale container port at Hunterston presented major opportunities.