The Threat Returns from Scottish Power

Scottish power confirm they will re-apply to the County Council in February with a "new"(it isn't!) planning application "answering" (it doesn't!) objections to their old application. In fact, they're offering the old application with its fingers crossed and its hat turned backwards. They're offering:

Electric Compressors, not gas turbines, Just as dangerous, very noisy, still causing pollution (at the power stations generating the electricity).

Smaller buildings, but still surrounded by a major industrial/chemical complex in the heart of rural England.

"Only" 8 Monster underground Cavities instead of 9 - How kind!

Scottish Power are like a vandal who was going to smash all your windows, and is now offering to smash all but one.

DANGER! Will Scottish Power beat the planning system?

Following rejection of their Gas Plant by the entire local community, and by Cheshire County Council's Development Regulatory Committee, Scottish Power are now trying to re-apply for the same thing, under slightly different conditions. Last night RAP held its first business meeting since Scottish Power's announcement, and perceive one, imminent danger. Said RAP Chairman John Halstead: "We fear Scottish Power is trying to rush through this second application before the community - or anyone else - gets time to look at it. For instance, they won't be running 'road shows' as they did last time to tell people what they're doing."

Press Spokesman Dr John Edwards, commented: "Such a major project needs a good six months consideration, and it would be ludicrous to steamroller it through in a few weeks. We are seriously concerned and will be lobbying the County Council to get proper time for this vital matter." John Halstead added: "Scottish Power should beware that people in Cheshire are hitting back by abandoning Scottish Power's Manweb subsidiary, to buy power from other companies, of which there are plenty these days, all wanting to take Manweb's business. RAP is already being pressed to run a campaign encouraging this". Dr John Edwards, Press and Media Officer, 07788 145664

Count Scotpowula Rises From his Grave

After months of indecision, Scottish Power has risen from the grave where they have lain since October 23rd when Cheshire County Council responded to the manifest will of the people of Cheshire, by throwing out the application to build a huge gas-plant at Byley in Cheshire. This time, Scottish Power hope to get their way by coming back with another application, changing details of their original plan to make it seem less threatening: a key element being to replace gas-turbine compressors with electric compressors.

But John Halstead, Chairman of the protest group 'Residents Against the Plant', that delivered such a total demolition of Scottish Power's earlier proposals, commented: 'It's laughable! Scottish Power claim that electric compressors will be quiet and non-polluting. But anyone who's heard a vacuum cleaner, knows how noisy even domestic electric machinery can be - let alone the monsters that Scottish Power would put into Byley. And as for being pollution-free, this would only move the pollution elsewhere - to the power stations burning extra fuel to drive the electric compressors." Added Dr John Edwards, RAP's Press Spokesman: "This proposal won't pull the wool over anybody's eyes. It's the same wretched plan - but with its fingers crossed and its hat turned backwards. The gas plant is still totally un-necessary in national terms, and is still just a spiffing wheeze to make vast profits for Scottish Power, while despoiling our local environment. We are ready, willing and able to fight on, and we have no doubt that the people of Cheshire will show that they are as firmly against this "new" plan as they were against the old one." Dr John Edwards, Press and Media Officer