HALITE ENERGY intends to store a minimum working capacity of 130 million cubic metres of gas underground in 19 purpose-built salt caverns in Preesall and Knott End. The project had been previously refused over a thirteen year period by Lancashire County Council, Wyre Borough Council, as well as by two previous Secretaries of State. The last refusal was on the grounds that Halite had failed to demonstrate the suitability of the geology or provide convincing evidence of the size of the project.

Despite this and united opposition from the local community, the scheme was given the go-ahead on 17th July 2015 by Lord Bourne on behalf of the then Secretary of State. It was passed due to the fact it was a "nationally significant" project. This decision took place behind closed doors on the last day of parliament.

In October 2016 there was another decision taken in Westminster to allow fracking at Preston New Road in Lancashire approximately 14 km away - again against the recommendation of Lancashire County Council and the wishes of local people. ​These two industrial developments so close together caused great concern due to the risk of tremors from fracking and the fact that the gas storage is to be sited in an area of land that is still subsiding in places after old salt mining and brine extraction. 

It is now 2020 and Halite are due to 'start' the project just as the five-deadline is approaching and they would lose their permission. This project has been  hanging over the local population for too long. #NoGasStorage

Why is this a problem?

​It's bad for the environment

​Thousands of tonnes of toxic brine will be pumped out into the Wyre Estuary at Rossell Point in Fleetwood killing everything that cannot get out of its way.

The Wyre Estuary supports the largest area of ungrazed saltmarsh in North West England with Barnaby Sands Marsh adjacent to the site of any future development.

The whole area is of significant fisheries and conservation interest. The coastline contains many protected areas including:
  • the Wyre Estuary SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest, 1995)
  • the Wyre Lune Marine Conservation Zone (2019)
  • the Liverpool Bay Special Protection Area (extended towards the site of the project’s planned brine outfall in 2017)
  • Shell Flat and Lune Deep Special Area of Conservation (SAC, 2017)
  • the Morecambe Bay SSSI (1990) and SAC (2005).
It is important to note that several of these protections came into force or were extended after the development consent order was granted in 2015 and certainly a long time after permission for the brine discharge was first granted by the Environment Agency in 2007.

Too much traffic

The company has permission for up to 62 lorries a day to go to and from the site, on often narrow country roads, past our schools and homes, during the construction period.

It tramples on local democracy

 Local people are overwhelmingly against the plans. Over 10,000 letters were sent in against Halite's plans during the planning application process. In addition over 1,000 people sent postcards to  Amber Rudd (the then Secretary of State) to protest against the decision once it had been taken. Local people know the area best and that this huge industrial development is dangerous given our geology and history, and will negatively affect our community and our environment. The scheme had been rejected at every level over many years, yet still it was passed in Westminster overruling local democracy. ​

It's not safe

 The 19 caverns are due to be built on land near old salt mines and brine extraction wells, some of which is still subsiding. The geology has not been proven to be safe and in fact was one of the main reasons that the project was rejected so many times previously. 

#NoGasStorage