Decision details

The Executive received an update on the replacement of the Southampton to London Pipeline Project (SLP). ESSO Petroleum Company Limited had published the final pipeline route on 27 March 2019.

Esso had submitted the Development Consent Order (DCO) for the SLP to the Planning Inspectorate on 15 May 2019. The application had been accepted for examination by the Planning Inspectorate on 10 June 2019.The Council would have the opportunity to register as an interested party up to 27 July 2019 and be involved in the examination process.

It was reported that there would be two documents that the Council would be expected to produce as part of this process, namely a Statement of Common Ground (SoCG) with ESSO and a Local Impact Report (LIR) for Surrey.

The SoCG would detail areas of agreement with Esso and any areas where there was a difference in opinion between the two parties. The submission of the SoCG would be expected in advance of the examination of the DCO.

The LIR was likely to be produced jointly with Runnymede BC, Spelthorne BC and Surrey CC and would give details of the anticipated impact of the proposed development upon the local authorities’ areas, for example the short term impact of the pipelines construction on the local road network. The deadline for the submission of an LIR would be set by the Examining Authority following the preliminary meeting.

The Executive considered the matters that were likely to be included in the SoCG and LIR. It was advised that the agenda report summarised the key points that had been identified to date, but further details would be worked on in due course. Members recognised that residents had raised concerns about the change in the pipeline route since the previous consultation and reference to this would be included in the Council’s response.

It was noted that residents had expressed notable concern about the proposals and Members emphasised that they should register as interested parties.

RESOLVED that

(i)        the production of a Statement of Common Ground with ESSO be agreed;

(ii)      the production of a Local Impact Report with other impacted local authorities in Surrey be agreed; and

(iii)     due to uncertainty over submission timescales, authority be delegated to the Executive Head of Regulatory in consultation with the Finance Portfolio Holder and Planning & People Portfolio Holder to agree the content of these documents.

Note: Cllr Rodney Bates declared a non-pecuniary interest as he was a community representative on the Frimley Fuel Allotments charity, whose land would be affected by the proposed pipeline route.