Pipelines Row is Brewing
Page 11
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FROM OUR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT
THE capture, by United Kingdom Oil Pipelines Ltd., of the preliminary goahead for Britain's first trunk pipe between the Thames and Mersey (see page II) may blow up into a political row for two reasons.
First, there will be a two-fold loss of revenue to the railways. Once the pipe gets going it is estimated that something approaching £2m. worth of traffic will be diverted annually. In addition, the U.K.O.P. project will bring in no revenue from the use of railway land.
Second, as the successful applicants propose to draw a virtually straight line between the two rivers, they are likely to he involved in a series of public inquiries. It is estimated that their plan will require wayleaves from about 800 landowners (of whom 25 per cent. have already refused) and 400 separate occupiers (of whom only about 50 per cent have so far agreed).
The unsuccessful bidders, Trunk Pipelines Ltd., proposed to carry their pipes
for all but a very small part of the way over railway and waterways land.Initial agreement had already been reached with the railways and waterways boards.
The whole central issue of pipelines direction is likely to be raised again soon. While the Minister of Power, in granting the big oil companies the go-ahead, has firmly excluded any say in the matter from -State transport, the Labour Party has felt all along that from the word go this new form of transport should be
publicly controlled_ . .
Six Labour M.P.s headed by Mr. William Warbey (Ashfield, Notts) have tabled a motioh calling for more information on the reasons for Mr. Richard Wood's decision.
They are asking the Commons to support their call for a White Paper laying down all the considerations made by the Minister in his award in view of his undertaking, during the passage of the Pipelines Act, " to protect the public interest in the operation of this Act ".