DON’T BE DETERRED ON PIPELINE PLANS

I Am writing in response to the article entitled “Hundreds oppose gas storage plan” and the Echo Comment (May 10).

The article correctly states that West Lindsey District Council has arranged a public meeting to discuss Star Energy’s gas storage proposals.

The comment column implies, incorrectly, that the meeting is going to be about wind turbines.

To clarify: The planning applications for wind turbines are being dealt with by West Lindsey District Council and a decision is yet to be made.

The council held two public meetings earlier this year at which wind turbines and renewable energy were discussed.

The special meeting arranged for Thursday, May 27 at the Lincolnshire Showground is to discuss Star Energy’s planning applications to build a gas pipeline and to store billions of cubic feet of gas in the Welton oil field.

These applications will be decided by Lincolnshire County Council.

As part of the process, West Lindsey District Council is being consulted and invited to give its views.

In view of the considerable concern about the gas storage proposals, WLDC councillors unanimously agreed that a special meeting of the council should be arranged in order to finalise its response to the county council.

There will be an open forum immediately before the formal council meeting at which members of the public will be able to make their comments on the gas pipeline/storage proposals.

As the editorial points out, in this case it is the county council rather than the district council which will make the actual decisions on the gas pipeline/storage applications.

The fact that concerned residents may have a “mammoth task” ahead of them should not deter anyone from coming along and making their views known.

As a member of WLDC, I will continue to work to represent the views of local residents and to keep asking the many questions about safety issues which still need to be answered.

MEG DAVIDSON WLDC Councillor, Fiskerton Ward.