Local Plan Issues and Options (Regulation 18)

Comment

Representation ID: 13829

Received: 04/09/2025

Respondent: Progressive Energy Ltd

Local Plan Issues and Options (Regulation 18)

I&O_14349
Progressive Energy Ltd welcomes the opportunity to respond to the Regulation 18 Issues and Options consultation on the emerging Cheshire West and Chester Local Plan. As the lead developer of both HyNet and Peak Cluster, two of the UK’s most significant industrial decarbonisation projects, Progressive Energy is uniquely placed to support the Council in delivering its climate change ambitions. These programmes will deliver low carbon hydrogen, carbon capture and storage (CCS), low carbon power, and the supporting infrastructure needed to decarbonise energy-intensive industries across Cheshire West and Chester and neighbouring regions including Cheshire East, Staffordshire, Derbyshire Liverpool City Region and North East Wales. Together, HyNet and Peak Cluster will provide one of the UK’s most important contributions to achieving net zero by 2050, whilst safeguarding existing industrial employment and attracting new investment in world-leading clean technologies. We commend the Council’s proactive approach in embedding climate change, sustainable growth and energy transition within the new Local Plan. However, Cheshire West and Chester has a unique opportunity — and responsibility — to act as a national leader in industrial decarbonisation. We therefore urge the Council to adopt bold and ambitious policies which explicitly recognise the need to reduce industrial emissions and deliver the enabling infrastructure to achieve this.

Comment

Representation ID: 13830

Received: 04/09/2025

Respondent: Progressive Energy Ltd

I&O_14350
We recommend that the Infrastructure Delivery Plan and Economic Needs Assessment include explicit recognition of the role of nationally significant decarbonisation projects in shaping employment and infrastructure requirements. The construction of HyNet and its related projects is estimated to create 16,000 jobs, averaging around 6,000 per year, depending on the pace of delivery. Additional ongoing operational jobs will number in the hundreds, with institutions such as TTE and Cheshire College South & West in Ellesmere Port well suited to train local apprentices for these forthcoming roles. Future HyNet infrastructure is already attracting investment in new sectors to the county. The Department for Energy Security & Net Zero’s recent Track 1 Expansion process to allocate HyNet’s carbon dioxide pipeline capacity was oversubscribed, with successful projects seeking to connect to points at Stanlow and Protos across hydrogen production, manufacturing, bioenergy carbon capture and direct air capture. This follows £9.4bn of investment announced at June’s Spending Review to deliver projects in HyNet and on Teesside. Low carbon hydrogen could be used for making glass or green steel, whilst electricity from EET’s planned hydrogenfired Combined Heat & Power plant could attract hyperscale data centres. In August, the Department for Transport awarded £4.5 million to two Sustainable Aviation Fuel projects, including Stanlow Methanol-to-Jet. These figures illustrate the scale of opportunity for Cheshire West and Chester, if infrastructure delivery is embedded in the evidence base. Policies supportive of all these sectors will ensure Cheshire West & Chester is a world-leader in clean energy.

Comment

Representation ID: 13831

Received: 04/09/2025

Respondent: Progressive Energy Ltd

I&O_14351
We support the principle of tackling climate change within the Local Plan vision. However, this should be strengthened to reflect CWCC’s unique opportunity to: Enable substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from one of the UK’s most important industrial clusters. Deliver this transition in a way which drives economic growth, attracts new investment, and protects high-value jobs. Local Plan Objective SO15 should be expanded to explicitly reference industrial decarbonisation, hydrogen and CCS. We also recommend that the place-based vision for Ellesmere Port recognises its role as a hub for industrial decarbonisation and low carbon power, consistent with Government’s Clean Power 2030 mission.

Comment

Representation ID: 13832

Received: 04/09/2025

Respondent: Progressive Energy Ltd

I&O_14352
We support the principle of tackling climate change within the Local Plan vision. However, this should be strengthened to reflect CWCC’s unique opportunity to: Enable substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from one of the UK’s most important industrial clusters. Deliver this transition in a way which drives economic growth, attracts new investment, and protects high-value jobs. Local Plan Objective SO15 should be expanded to explicitly reference industrial decarbonisation, hydrogen and CCS. We also recommend that the place-based vision for Ellesmere Port recognises its role as a hub for industrial decarbonisation and low carbon power, consistent with Government’s Clean Power 2030 mission.

Comment

Representation ID: 13833

Received: 04/09/2025

Respondent: Progressive Energy Ltd

I&O_14353
We support the principle of tackling climate change within the Local Plan vision. However, this should be strengthened to reflect CWCC’s unique opportunity to: Enable substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from one of the UK’s most important industrial clusters. Deliver this transition in a way which drives economic growth, attracts new investment, and protects high-value jobs. Local Plan Objective SO15 should be expanded to explicitly reference industrial decarbonisation, hydrogen and CCS. We also recommend that the place-based vision for Ellesmere Port recognises its role as a hub for industrial decarbonisation and low carbon power, consistent with Government’s Clean Power 2030 mission.

Comment

Representation ID: 13834

Received: 04/09/2025

Respondent: Progressive Energy Ltd

I&O_14354
We support the principle of tackling climate change within the Local Plan vision. However, this should be strengthened to reflect CWCC’s unique opportunity to: Enable substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from one of the UK’s most important industrial clusters. Deliver this transition in a way which drives economic growth, attracts new investment, and protects high-value jobs. Local Plan Objective SO15 should be expanded to explicitly reference industrial decarbonisation, hydrogen and CCS. We also recommend that the place-based vision for Ellesmere Port recognises its role as a hub for industrial decarbonisation and low carbon power, consistent with Government’s Clean Power 2030 mission.

Comment

Representation ID: 13835

Received: 04/09/2025

Respondent: Progressive Energy Ltd

I&O_14355
The sustainable development policy should recognise that industrial decarbonisation is central to achieving net zero while maintaining prosperity. This requires explicit recognition of opportunities to reduce industrial emissions whilst protecting jobs and attracting investment.

Comment

Representation ID: 13836

Received: 04/09/2025

Respondent: Progressive Energy Ltd

I&O_14356
Green Belt and Infrastructure Corridors We acknowledge the importance of protecting Green Belt. However, the Local Plan should also recognise the strategic value of Green Belt corridors to accommodate buried pipelines and cables linking industrial and employment sites to CO₂ transport and storage networks and hydrogen infrastructure. Such infrastructure is fully compatible with Green Belt purposes. Development proposals that would narrow or block these corridors (e.g. for housing or mixed use) risk undermining nationally significant projects. Growth Options Several proposed growth options are unsuitable because they risk blocking key decarbonisation corridors for projects including Cadent’s HyNet Hydrogen Pipeline, the Liverpool Bay CCS carbon dioxide pipeline plus potential spurs, and the Peak Cluster carbon dioxide pipeline plus potential spurs. Specific growth options which conflict with these corridors include: Ellesmere Port South (EP01) – Key corridor linking Stanlow/Elton to Irish Sea CO₂ stores; Capenhurst – Corridor between Chester and Deeside; Elton (ELT03, ELT04) – Corridor between Ince, Stanlow and Helsby for CO2 and hydrogen; Hooton Station – Corridor between Ellesmere Port and the Wirral; Northwich (NOR07) – Corridor for Cadent’s HyNet Hydrogen Pipeline Infilling or encroachment in these corridors would put delivery of decarbonisation infrastructure at risk. Conversely, buried pipelines and cables are compatible with Green Belt and should be explicitly supported. More widely, we welcome new employment allocations around Winsford and Middlewich, whilst we would encourage additional allocations close to Gadbrook Park. We understand the desire for residential development close to Lostock Gralam station, but would ask for consideration that to the south of the railway, LOS03 and LOS02, have an element of existing industrial development, and could facilitate further energy projects, screened from existing residential by the railway. Furthermore, they should avoid sterilising redevelopment of the Tata Lostock site for industrial use.

Comment

Representation ID: 13837

Received: 04/09/2025

Respondent: Progressive Energy Ltd

I&O_14357
Green Belt and Infrastructure Corridors We acknowledge the importance of protecting Green Belt. However, the Local Plan should also recognise the strategic value of Green Belt corridors to accommodate buried pipelines and cables linking industrial and employment sites to CO₂ transport and storage networks and hydrogen infrastructure. Such infrastructure is fully compatible with Green Belt purposes. Development proposals that would narrow or block these corridors (e.g. for housing or mixed use) risk undermining nationally significant projects. Growth Options Several proposed growth options are unsuitable because they risk blocking key decarbonisation corridors for projects including Cadent’s HyNet Hydrogen Pipeline, the Liverpool Bay CCS carbon dioxide pipeline plus potential spurs, and the Peak Cluster carbon dioxide pipeline plus potential spurs. Specific growth options which conflict with these corridors include: Ellesmere Port South (EP01) – Key corridor linking Stanlow/Elton to Irish Sea CO₂ stores; Capenhurst – Corridor between Chester and Deeside; Elton (ELT03, ELT04) – Corridor between Ince, Stanlow and Helsby for CO2 and hydrogen; Hooton Station – Corridor between Ellesmere Port and the Wirral; Northwich (NOR07) – Corridor for Cadent’s HyNet Hydrogen Pipeline Infilling or encroachment in these corridors would put delivery of decarbonisation infrastructure at risk. Conversely, buried pipelines and cables are compatible with Green Belt and should be explicitly supported. More widely, we welcome new employment allocations around Winsford and Middlewich, whilst we would encourage additional allocations close to Gadbrook Park. We understand the desire for residential development close to Lostock Gralam station, but would ask for consideration that to the south of the railway, LOS03 and LOS02, have an element of existing industrial development, and could facilitate further energy projects, screened from existing residential by the railway. Furthermore, they should avoid sterilising redevelopment of the Tata Lostock site for industrial use.

Comment

Representation ID: 13838

Received: 04/09/2025

Respondent: Progressive Energy Ltd

I&O_14358
We strongly support the inclusion of industrial decarbonisation as a priority for Ellesmere Port. This should be broadened to include low carbon power and cross-boundary utility connections (pipelines and electricity).