Hazardous substance consent is given for natural gas storage

11:28am Wednesday 2nd July 2008

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CONSENT to store hazardous substances in Warmingham has been granted to a firm by Cheshire County Council.

The authority’s Development Regulatory Committee has granted the permission to British Salt as part of the company’s plans to store natural gas in salt cavities.

The committee approved a planning application for the scheme in April and it involves the storing and processing of natural gas at the British Salt brinefield at Warmingham, Middlewich and processing plant at Cledford.

The development spans the boroughs of Crewe and Nantwich, Congleton and Vale Royal and the permission is subject to 13 technical conditions.

Eleven new cavities will be created at Warmington as a result of continued salt extraction and together with the existing ten cavities will eventually be used to store natural gas.

Gas pipes and renewed water and brine pipes will link the Warmingham Brinefield to the British Salt Works at Cledford Lane in Middlewich along an existing approved pipeline route.

It is proposed that a gas processing facility will be built within the Cledford Lane Works.

Development Regulatory Committee chairman Barrie Hardern said: “We approved planning permission two months ago for the scheme and the Hazardous Substance Consent is another piece in the jigsaw.

“The consent is needed because of the quantities of gas involved far exceed hazardous substance threshold levels and we granted the consent as advised by the Health and Safety Executive, safety experts in such matters.”