ABORTED plans for a new nuclear power station near Oldbury could be picked up jointly by French and Chinese firms.

The Areva group and China Guangdong Nuclear Power Corporation (CGNPC) group announced this week they would bid for the Horizon project in Shepperdine, as well as its other site at Wylfa on Anglesey in North Wales.

The development of a nuclear site next to the recently shut down Oldbury plant was put on hold back in March, when German firms RWE Npower and E.On, which formed Horizon Nuclear Power in 2009, backed out of the scheme, withdrawing their investment just weeks after buying land in Shepperdine.

Areva chief executive Luc Oursel said the companies would bid £15 billion to take over Horizon and its sites.

He said: "We will participate in the British government's plan to make this project a reality, and we will probably do it with Chinese power companies and other players.

"Probably by the end of the year, the sellers will make public their choice for the team that will take over the project."

RWE and E.ON were forced to abandon the Horizon project after Germany’s decision to phase out all nuclear power in the aftermath of the Fukushima accident in Japan.

Uncertainty had taken its toll on villagers in Oldbury, whether they were for or against the new development.

And those in favour were devastated by the news, seeing the thousands of new jobs promised by Horizon slipping away.

As for those against, including Shepperdine Against Nuclear Energy (SANE) campaigners, they were delighted with the German firms’ withdrawal from Oldbury, though they were waiting for assurances that the project would be scrapped for good.

Horizon had already made headway with its proposed design and consulted at length with residents.

South Gloucestershire Councillor Matthew Riddle (Con, Severn) said he had concerns about the possible takeover and whether the firms would stick to the promises and design choices made by Horizon in the past.

"The issue for local people was the height of the cooling towers," he said. "Horizon promised that they would not be higher than 70 metres. Whether these new owners will make the same commitment is uncertain. Until we know which firm has been chosen by Horizon and the government, it does still leave uncertainty."

Oldbury Parish Council chairman Barry Turner said he hoped the work Horizon were doing would continue but added it was "a bit early to say anything".

A Horizon spokesman said that as its sale process was being handled by its shareholders, the company was not in a position to make a comment.