Whitby residents invited to have their say on format of hydrogen village poll

Cheshire West and Chester Council is holding an engagement exercise to understand how the community in Whitby, Ellesmere Port would like a poll on the proposed hydrogen village to be run.

Whitby in Ellesmere Port is being considered as the UK's first hydrogen village, under proposals put forward to Government by gas distribution network Cadent. The area has been confirmed as one of two locations across the country being considered as the first to use low carbon hydrogen on this scale.

At an engagement session earlier this year, Councillor Louise Gittins, Leader of the Council, confirmed that the Council would hold a poll on the proposed hydrogen village to test public support. Part of this agreement included engaging with the community on what form this would take and what questions would be included.

Once the community’s views on the format of the poll have been received and analysed, the Council will carry out the poll later this summer.

The poll will measure 'public support' for the trial, one of the five tests that the Council is asking the gas distribution network (Cadent) and the Government to meet. The results of the poll will be published for residents to see and will be fed back to Government, prior to them making a decision on the location of the trial hydrogen village area.

The Government (not the Council) will decide if the Hydrogen Village trial goes ahead.  The Government have stated that they will only progress with the trial if there is local support. However, the poll is non-binding, and it is up to Government to decide.

Councillor Louise Gittins, Leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council, said: “We have heard clearly from residents how they want to have a poll on the hydrogen village and also that they wanted to be involved on how the poll will be run. I made a commitment at the public engagement event in February that residents would be involved at all stages.

“Local elections in early May meant that we had to delay the start of this engagement exercise, but I’m pleased to confirm that people in the proposed hydrogen village area will receive a letter about how to submit their views on the format of the poll, as part of this initial engagement process.”

People can submit their views in a number of ways, before the engagement exercise closes at 10am on Monday 5 June 2023.

• Complete an online feedback form: www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/WhitbyPoll
• Attend the drop-in session:  The Council’s Research Team will be running a drop-in session where you can come and talk to us about how the poll could be run on 23 May 2023, between 10.30am and 7.30pm, at Theatre Porto, Whitby Park, Stanney Lane, Whitby, Ellesmere Port, CH65 6QY.
• Email your views: WhitbyPoll@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk
• Write to us: Whitby Poll, Insight and Intelligence, Cheshire West and Chester Council, The Portal, Wellington Road, Ellesmere Port, CH65 0BA
• Telephone: 0300 123 8123 to speak to the Council’s Contact Centre, quoting ‘Whitby Hydrogen Poll’

Paper copies are available on request using the contact details above. From 22 May 2023, you will also be able to pick them up from the following locations:

• Ellesmere Port Library, Civic Way, Ellesmere Port, CH65 0BG
• The Portal, Wellington Road, Ellesmere Port, CH65 0BA

Alternative formats are also available on request.