![RESISTANCE
AGAINST
GAS
STORAGE
Site last updated: 4th Jan
Welcome to our campaign site of community resistance to the Planning Application No 4/07/2846/FZ5, presented to Cheshire County Council for planning permission by King Street Energy Cheshire Ltd [NPL Estates]
[AMEC plc] Click Here Their application proposes “The construction of a solution mining compound, ten underground natural gas storage cavities, associated gas processing plant, transmissions infrastructure and ancillary development such as control room and gatehouse” “Location King Street [High House Farm] Northwich CW9 7RX.
We do accept the national need for gas storage in principle and that this application is for medium category storage provision. We do not accept however the proposal for yet another ten underground storage cavities that are proposed for this location, to be cheek by jowl with the existing on-going development of Stublach Grange as well as the Byley Gas storage facilities. This proposed application would greatly increase the level of risk with more cavities in the same location.
The use of depleted North Sea & Irish Sea gas fields can fulfill the required storage needs with a vastly increased capacity and increased public safety, as exampled by he Rough Field in the North Sea that is already being used for the purpose of gas storage.
It is proposed by the applicant that the discharge of brine, average salt content 26%, will be discharged via a yet to be constructed pipeline into the River Mersey, at the Jobs Ferry outfall near Bromborough, with twin 800 mm pipes. This would be an act of industrial vandalism with major environmental consequences for the tidal River Mersey.
Geological faults are identified and referred to as ‘top’ & ‘bottom’ fault lines and in addition refers to a previously unknown geological fault, antithetic to the main fault. Unspecified design measures it is stated will include protection against external events, such as earthquakes, it could not preclude completely the potential effects of any geological movement effecting the cavities, with the possibility of opening up pathways for the migration of gas through mudstone bands in unknown directions.
A total of 955000 sq. metres of existing ‘greenfield ‘land would be used for the development with no return to rural agricultural use. After temporary constructed buildings are removed, four acres of permanent buildings that will include a 30 metre high gas vent, pylons, lights and roads, would make the return to agricultural use impossible. The outcome will be a change of use from ‘greenfield’ rural agricultural to an industrial landscape, with the consequential loss of natural habitat for brown hares, barn owls, great crested newts and bats. This industrial development on the perimeter of Northwich will add to the ongoing industrial sprawl, in an area recognised as a ‘greenfield’ site for appropriate, and not hazardous inappropriate development proposed in the application.
On completion of the proposed development, the applicant states that the King Street site will be a stand alone facility which will be highly automated with low manning levels, with the presence of CCTV security that will substitute for the minimum manned supervision on completion of the development. The reliance on low manning will not eliminate the possibilities of human error, or indeed technological or mechanical errors, that have shown historically to be as precedents responsible for major gas explosions around the world that are well documented. It is interesting to note that resulting from two major gas explosions in the U.S.A. the state of Kansas being one, has decreed that underground gas storage is not now legally allowed within a three mile radius of municipal population. So much for our security in Northwich!
Lets preserve what greenfield land space we can, but if it has to to be considered for development, it was to be associated with non hazardous implications and environmentally friendly. It is not acceptable at the behest of governments needs to turn this greenfield site into an inaccessible ‘brown field’ site, when there are safer options available in redundant offshore oil and gas fields with by comparison no risks to people or the environment.
Write your objections now! if live in the radius of the two miles from the potential site; RUDHEATH, LACH DENNIS, LOSTOCK GRALAM, LOSTOCK GREEN, LEFTWICH or WHATCROFT, before it too late to express your view to your MP, MEP and your local councillor, as who knows it might your bit of greenfield space they will be after next, for the hazardous exploitation by a non resident public limited companies putting private profits before our community needs.
Please write to:
Steve Molloy, Cheshire County Council, Minerals & Waste Development Control,Backford Hall, Backford, Cheshire CH1 6PX
George Mainwaring, Cheshire County Councillor, 11 Brook Street, Northwich CW9 7NH.
George Osborne MP, Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer,
House of Commons, London SW1A OAA
Stephen O’Brien MP, House of Commons, London SW1A OAA
Brian Simpson MEP, Lakeside, Alexandra Park, Prescot Rd, St Helens,
WA10 3TT
Mark Stocks, Vale Royal Borough Councillor, King Street Farm, King Street, Byley, Middlewich CW10 9LE
Chris Driver, Cheshire Wildlife Trust, Bickley Hall Farm, Bickley, Malpas, Cheshire SY14 8EF.
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➜TEN UNDERGROUND GAS STORAGE CAVITIES
➜LOSS OF 95500 Sq METRES OF GREEN FIELD RURAL LANDSCAPE TO INDUSTRIAL USE
➜ESTABLISHED GEOLOGICAL FAULTS WITH RISKS FOR THE UNDERGROUND DEVELOPMENT OF THE SITE
➜DISCHARGE OF BRINE AVERAGE
SALT [26%] INTO THE RIVER MERSEY WITH ENORMOUS ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES
➜LOSS OF BROWN HARES, BARN OWLS, GREAT CRESTED NEWTS & BATS ON THE SITE OF THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT
