Esso Southampton to London Pipeline Project given greenlight

The Southampton to London Pipeline Project has been granted development consent.

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Just over 60 miles of aviation fuel pipeline running from Fawley Refinery to Esso’s west London Terminal Storage Facility in Hounslow will be replaced.

Alok Sharma, the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, granted permission for the project.

The application was submitted to the Planning Inspectorate by the oil giant in May last year and accepted for examination that June.

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Following an examination stakeholders were allowed to provide evidence to the examining authority and recommendations made to the Secretary of State this July.

The Planning Inspectorate’s Chief Executive, Sarah Richards said:“This is the 95th Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project and 59th Energy project to have been examined and decided within the timescales laid down in the Planning Act 2008. The Planning Inspectorate is committed to giving local communities the opportunity of being involved in the Examination of projects that may affect them. Local people, the Local Authorities and other Interested Parties were able to participate in a 6-month long Examination. The Examining Authority listened and gave full consideration to local views before making their Recommendation.”

There is now a six week period during which the decision may be challenged in the High Court in a process known as judicial review.

For more information visit the National Infrastructure Planning website.