Proposals to create a gas facility and kiosk on green belt land has been given the go-ahead.
A town hall meeting heard that the benefit of the scheme, off Chorley Road in Blackrod, meant that there were enough “special circumstances” to make up for the loss of green belt land.
Cllr David Grant, who represents Horwich South and Blackrod, said that though he had originally raised objections he had since been reassured after the developers met with Blackrod Town Council.
He said: “At that meeting Blackrod Town Councillors, as well as myself, were reassured that this location for the gas pipe line is the only place it could be.”
He also said he was pleased the developers had not been “adversarial” but instead had “actively engaged” with him.
The meeting heard how the new gas governor was needed to help cope with the growing pressure on the gas network in the area.
Council officers also said that though the site was on green belt land and found it an “important gateway to Blackrod”, they too felt that the plan should be approved thanks to the “very special circumstances.”
They said that the site was close to the area’s gas supply and that more facilities were needed to cope with the increase in demand.
In particular, new housing developments and a new power generation site, both of which have already been approved by the council, will also drive up demand for gas in the near future.
Although the plan will also include new pipework to connect the kiosk, this will be underground and so will not be visible.
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Once installed, the new gas governor will need maintenance works every six to 12 months unless an emergency occurs.
Robert Mackenzie, addressing the committee members of behalf of the developers, said that without this new governor, the gas network would be “unable to cope with existing demand.”
He added that though the site was within greenbelt land, they had been left with very limited choices about where the gas governor and kiosk could go.
Ultimately, the planning committee voted unanimously to approve the proposal.
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