Tewkesbury campaigners fear plant extension
Campaigners trying to prevent a gas plant being built in Gloucestershire near Tewkesbury fear the National Grid is already thinking about extending it in the future.
Members of the pressure group Campaign Against Pressure Reduction Installation (CAPRI) are fighting the company's plan to install a pressure reduction installation (PRI) close to Flat Farm, in Tirley.
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They fear it would ruin the countryside and put residents' lives at risk in an accident or as part of a terrorist attack.
Earlier this month, CAPRI criticised the National Grid for trying to acquire land for the plant via compulsory purchase orders.
If it can build the plant, it will be able to take full advantage of a 200-mile pipeline that could carry up to 20 per cent of the UK's gas supplies from south Wales to Gloucestershire.
In a statement, CAPRI said: "We suspect the compulsory purchase of 40 acres of land is really intended to provide National Grid with 23 acres of land which are not required now for the PRI but which would enable it to be enlarged in the future."
CAPRI wants the company to agree to sell the extra land back to the landowner if it is allowed to build the PRI.
The lobby group said: "If National Grid's claimed purposes are genuine, then we call on it to publicly give the owners of the land a legally binding undertaking."
The group says the deal would see the National Grid transfer the 23 acres back to the owners at the same price it paid for them if the PRI is built.
National Grid declined to comment on CAPRI's suggestion but, in a statement, said: "We expect Tewkesbury Borough Council to have made a decision on our planning application well in advance of any decision on our CPO.
"The CPO must cover all the land required to complete the PRI. As such we have had to include land which falls outside our planning application, but which is required as a temporary storage area and yard during the construction period.
"This land will be returned to agricultural use on completion of the PRI. We can only develop the land in accordance with the planning application, if it is granted by the council."
2 Comments
by Corinne Mills, Tirley
Friday, November 06 2009, 1:32PM
“I live 500 metres from the proposed site! Even closer if National Grid have the CPO order granted to take over 40 acre's of land. This proprosed industrial site in a prime agricultural rural area is against both National and Local Policy. It is definitely not green as the proposed chimneys would be ommitting carbon monoxide . It is totally unnecessary as there is already a brown field site located in Wormington, Glos which would conveniently site the proposed installation with the minimum of temporary invasion of the countryside. The proposed development would be a permanent blight on the what is currently an unspoilt area of beautiful countryside. National Grid are only interested in the bottom line, to quote they have their shareholders main interests uppermost in mind! This proposed development must not be allowed to proceed as it totally inappropriate and unnecessary. We support Capri 100% and will continue to fight until the preferred result is achieve. This is an important issue which must be resolved as it is totally unfair that organisations of this kind can hold members of the public to ransome with such stressfull issues. No private individual would be able to get away with a proposal of this nature. Help us to help the countryside & environment remain green & clean! Thankyou for taking the time to read my comments.”
by Kay Powell, Tredworth
Monday, November 02 2009, 6:30PM
“I don't live anywhere near this proposed location, so I am not a NIMBY, but I am against the construction of a Pressure Reduction Installation. Good luck, CAPRI.”