News : Consultation timetable announced
Halite Energy, the company behind plans for an Underground Gas Storage Facility at Preesall, Lancashire, has announced its timetable for local community consultation over the coming months.
The consultation is an important part of its application to the Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC), which it will submit later this year.
“Through the consultation we will inform the local community of our plans for a condensed project which will involve creating purpose-built caverns in the salt field at Preesall to store gas underground. These plans have taken into account feedback from previous applications. Most importantly, we are listening to the views, comments and concerns of local people so that we submit an application to the IPC that incorporates feedback from the community.
“As part of our commitment to safety, the Halite team has undertaken a wide range of geological tests, risk assessments and surveys and we hope that we will be able to reassure the local community that our plans are safe,” said Keith Budinger, newly appointed chief executive at Halite Energy.
The consultation plans were outlined in a Statement of Community Consultation (SoCC) at the end of 2010. Lancashire County Council and Wyre Borough Council have had the opportunity to feed back on the SoCC to Halite Energy, and these comments have now been incorporated.
Halite Energy will enter its formal consultation on 4 April 2011 when the SoCC, along with detailed geological and environmental reports and extensive project information, will be available for consideration by the local community, prior to a series of exhibitions in May.
“We want to give the local community plenty of time to review the project information and then share their views with us at the exhibitions. This means that our consultation period will extend across the whole of April and May,” explained Mr Budinger.
“Safety is paramount to Halite Energy. This commitment is underpinned by extensive work that has been undertaken on the geology of the Preesall salt. We are looking forward to sharing this information with the local community and listening to their feedback.”