No to underground gas storage in Preesall damaging our environment.

No to underground gas storage in Preesall damaging our environment.

Started
30 May 2020
Petition to
The Rt Hon Alok Sharma MP (Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy)
Signatures: 3,488Next Goal: 5,000
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Why this petition matters

Started by Claire Rimmer

In July 2015 the then Secretary of State approved underground gas storage in Preesall after locals had been fighting the proposal for over 13 years and it had been turned down at all levels – including by Wyre Council and Lancashire County Council.

It is now June 2020 and this project has still barely got off the ground. The latest owner the NPL Group is rushing to complete development consent requirements so it can start something before the project’s five-year deadline is up next month.

Meanwhile, local people are still totally opposed to this white elephant which will have a devastating effect on our environment including spilling out up to 80,000 m3 of hyper saline brine every day for at least 6 years in our seas at Fleetwood. This will kill off any marine life that can’t get out of its way and have a severe impact on the area’s whole ecosystem.

Local people also have concerns on safety because of the area’s geology, old salt mines, unstable land and heavy traffic on unsuitable rural roads. And it so close to schools and houses.

At this stage of climate change we don’t believe there is a need for a huge gas storage facility that will not see any gas for 6 years at least.

We are asking the Rt Hon Alok Sharma MP to look again at this project to see if half an access road without secure finance is enough to be considered a lawful start after five years.

We are also asking for any request from NPL Energy Group/ Halite Energy Group to extend the deadline to be turned down.

We love our local communities: coastal, rural and town. We have had this project hanging over our heads long enough.

#NoGasStorage Preesall

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Signatures: 3,488Next Goal: 5,000
Support now
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Decision-Makers

  • The Rt Hon Alok Sharma MPSecretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy