ScottishPower today welcomed the High Court's decision on planning permission for a £100m underground natural gas storage facility at Byley, Cheshire.

Welcoming the judge's decision to reject an appeal from local objectors, Charles Berry, ScottishPower Executive Director UK, said: "The UK will soon become a net importer of natural gas and Byley will help provide greater security of supply for the entire country, particularly during the winter and at other times of peak demand."

The project, initially approved in May 2004 by the Office for the Deputy Prime Minister and the Department of Trade and Industry, will see around six billion cubic feet of gas stored in up to eight underground caverns. Unlike most existing gas storage facilities in the UK, Byley will be able to be filled and emptied many times a year giving greater flexibility in meeting peak demand for domestic gas and gas-generated electricity.

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