Disaster at the cheshire gas plant

BYLEY GAS PLANT APPROVED:
WE WON THE SCIENCE,
WE LOST THE POLITICS
BUT THE FIGHT CONTINUES!

Following yesterday’s announcement by John Prescott and Patricia Hewitt’s departments that they have approved Scottish Power’s plan for the Byley Gas Plant – despite the gas plant being opposed by the public inquiry of December 2002 - John Halstead, Chairman of Residents Against the Plant (RAP) commented.

“RAP’s first reaction is tremendous pride that we helped win the public inquiry which was the definitive fair and open opportunity for all concerned to give evidence. It covered not only technical matters like equipment design and geology, but also Britain’s economic need for gas. The inquiry also noted that the people of Cheshire do not want the gas plant, with over 10,000 letters of opposition written by residents. We are therefore dumfounded that the secretaries of state have approved the gas plant, in a direct contradiction to the public will and the measured findings of a five-week public inquiry. We ask what is the point of a public inquiry, if politicians are going to overrule it in private? Indeed we ask what precisely is going on?”

RAP points out that on April 13th, the ‘Guardian’ newspaper published an article by David Gow, its city editor, stating that Scottish Power were:

“…trying to enlist the support of senior cabinet ministers to overcome local resistance…” to the gas plant.

John Halstead added:

“RAP can fight the good fight in daylight, but are we facing a lobbying campaign by a multi-billion-pound international giant, done on the quiet?”

Also, a major plank has fallen out of Scottish Power’s arguments since energy expert Niall Trimble, has just executed a spectacular U-turn by contradicting the evidence he gave at the 2002 public inquiry, when he argued for the gas plant to store gas against national need. At the 2002 inquiry, Trimble said Britain faced a medium term shortage of gas, but on BBC’s ‘Working Lunch’ of May 18th, he declared that in the medium term ‘we will be awash with the stuff’ which nicely demolishes his own case.

John Halstead concluded:

“We have won the science and lost the politics, but the fight continues. We - and our lawyers - are going through the statement from the secretaries of state, and the report of the public inquiry. We already see good opportunity for an appeal against the approval of the gas plant, and RAP is undiminished in enthusiasm to fight on. We have the people, the money, and the will to win. Scottish Power should not yet open the champagne.”