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Canatxx gas bid set for rejection
ANTI-Canatxx campaigners have reached a milestone in their fight to stop gas being stored under the River Wyre after County Hall planning officers recommended refusal of the plan.
Planning chiefs say the American firm, which wants to store 1.2 million tonnes of gas in caverns, has failed to provide enough information to ensure the Preesall geology is capable of accommodating the development.
The company has also been criticised for failing to prove gas could not migrate through the geology or via former mining activities.
Concerns were also raised that the 300m development would be "detrimental to the quality of the open character of the countryside, coastal plain, estuary landscape and Wyre Way".
Jubilant MPs and neighbours, who have fought two previous planning applications, welcomed the recommendation and said they now hoped Canatxx would "pack up and go home".
Ian Mulroy, chairman of Protect Wyre Group, said: "We are very pleased and we feel the refusal has been recommended for all the right reasons – because of the lack of information from Canatxx.
"We have still got to go before the committee but we feel confident they will uphold the planning officers' recommendation. Canatxx may pack up and go home now."
The recommendation comes just a week before the county council's development control committee is due to make a decision on the planning application.
For more on this story see Thursday's Gazette. Risk of an explosion and risk of raw sewage ending up on Fylde coast beaches – these are the potential consequences.”
Canatxx chief executive Paul Grimes said: “We are incredibly disappointed and frustrated by the report which is clearly inconsistent with the science and information provided within the application; it even disputes the HSE’s findings.
“This project is of national significance and is the largest and most strategically important land based storage opportunity in the UK.
“The project is sound, safe and necessary. We look forward to next week and hope the council approves our scheme.
“It is backed with unprecedented levels of data and information by world renowned experts.
“It will bring significant levels of much needed investment and employment to the area and it is desperately needed by the nation”.
The firm claims “the national need for more gas storage is now undeniable and the county council has a real opportunity now to take a national leadership position to tackle the UK’s growing problem of insufficient gas storage”.
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Weather for Blackpool
Friday 25 May 2012
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Temperature: 13 C to 24 C
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