Happy Halite Free 2018!

​A lot has happened since Halite announced its plans to start construction in October 2017.

Halite has restarted its community liaison panel (CLP). There was one meeting of the CLP and one technical update. Notes and/or slides from these meetings are available on Halite's website. We are now members of the panel and are happy to ask questions on behalf of individuals or groups and report back on answers given at meetings. 

We have held three community meetings ourselves and our fourth  meeting is on Friday 19th January 2018 at 7.30pm at the Knott End Golf Club. We hope that Halite representatives will be there to answer our questions. We also ran a 'Hike Against Halite' on New Year's Eve. Thanks to everyone who came.

There has been a big focus on the brine outfall into the sea at Rossall and what this means for marine life and local communities. You can read all about concerns from local community experts here. Regulators have also had concerns. The Marine Management Organisation has asked questions on the timing of benthic surveys (see the public records on their database) and the NW Inshore Fisheries Conservation Authority has asked questions on the marine monitoring group due to be set up to monitor the methodology and implementation of the project. The construction of the brine outflow pipe is reported to be delayed for up to a year.  

For those of us in Preesall and Knott End and the surrounding area, Halite are still saying that construction will start as planned in the first quarter of 2018. This must be with the access road off the A588 although as far as we are aware the new suggestions to reduce the speed limit on the A588 leading up to the new junction have not been approved. We hope to get more of a timetable from Halite Energy representatives at our meeting on Friday.

In other news the Liverpool Bay Special Protection Area for birds has been extended and the Lancashire Wildlife Trust has made a statement on the project. 

Please don't hesitate to get in touch with information or questions.

All the best for the New Year,

Claire and all at No Gas Storage

​(This blog was first sent out as a newsletter in January 2018)