Campaigners have said the proposals to build the UK’s largest underground gas storage facility would be “destructive to the environment.”

Howard Phillips from Protect Wyre said it would put “peoples safety at risk” if Halite Energy’s plans to build the underground store on the Wyre Estuary site near Preesall are given the go ahead.

A public consultation on the plans, the fourth application in 10 years, will end this week.

The storage facility would consist of 19 salt cellars created over 1,000ft (305m) underground which could store  around 18-20% of the country’s gas reserves.

Nick Taylor, communications director for Halite Energy, said: “Virtually everything we do will be underground and anything we do above ground will be carefully blended into the environment. These facilities have been around for 50 years, there are 4 in the UK and 70 worldwide. There has never been an incident of an escape of gas or anyone hurt at these locations when they’ve been built in the UK.”

Opposed to the plans, Howard Phillips, from Protect Wyre has said: “It is putting peoples safety at risk. We are very concerned about storing vast quantities of gas in this area.”

Previous applications for the site made by Canatxx UK, which has since reformed as Halite Energy, were rejected.

The last proposal in 2010 was opposed by more than 8,000 residents who signed a petition against the plans.    

Monday February 6^th 2012
The Onlines