We need to ACT NOW to stop a proposed filling station and fast-food restaurant at Weaver View, Runcorn — a project that threatens lives.

Despite the site being located within the hazardous consultation distance of a major, high-pressure ethylene pipeline operated by SABIC UK Petrochemicals, developers are pushing forward with an opening date of early May 2026.

We are calling for an immediate Stop Notice and an independent safety ‘Call-In’ by the Secretary of State. This is no longer about preventing a plan; it is about stopping a potential disaster in progress.

1.Building on Top of an ‘Invisible Bomb’

The site sits directly over the Trans Pennine Ethylene Pipeline, which carries highly reactive, supercritical ethylene under extreme pressure. This is not standard ‘gas’—it is a major accident hazard with terrifying properties:

• Invisible & Odourless: You cannot smell or see an ethylene leak. It is a ‘silent killer’ that rapidly displaces oxygen, meaning people in the restaurant or the adjacent Clifton village could lose consciousness from asphyxiation before they even know they are in danger.
• The Vapour Cloud Risk: If the gas leaks and doesn't ignite instantly, it forms an invisible cloud that ‘hugs’ the ground. The moment this cloud touches a spark—such as a car engine at the petrol station—it could potentially trigger a Vapour Cloud Explosion (VCE) capable of levelling buildings for hundreds of metres.
• Cryogenic Danger: Upon release, the gas drops to –104°C, causing immediate cryogenic burns and potentially making the petrol station's own underground tanks brittle enough to crack

2. A ‘Death Trap’ by Design

The Council is ignoring experts at the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and SABIC, who have formally advised against this.

• No Way Out: Weaver View is the only entrance and exit for both this development and the entire village of Clifton. In the event of an incident, the exit will be blocked, both the petrol station and the pipeline valve, the potential ignition points are at the entrance. Emergency services won't be able to get in, and visitors or residents won't be able to get out.
• Secondary Ignition: By placing a 24-hour petrol station—a constant source of fuel and sparks—directly next to a high-pressure gas line, Halton Borough Council is creating a ‘domino effect’ risk. A minor pipeline leak is almost guaranteed to find an ignition source at the filling station.
   

3. Safety Before Profit

Ignoring all the safety concerns which have been raised since the service station was in its planning phase, Halton Borough Council points to a mitigation factor of creating145 jobs, but these do not justify gambling with local lives. We have seen this before: the Heath Park redevelopment in Runcorn was recently ‘called in’ and stopped by the Secretary of State for these exact safety reasons. Why is this petrol station being treated differently?

Once the petrol tanks are in the ground and the restaurant opens its large, unprotected glass windows to the pipeline, the danger becomes permanent.

OUR DEMANDS:

1. Halton Borough Council: Issues an immediate temporary Stop Notice on construction.
2. The Secretary of State: ‘calls in’ application 23/00018/FUL for a full public inquiry.
3. HSE & SABIC: Re-evaluate the ‘secondary ignition’ and gas build-up risks that were ignored in the initial planning phase.
    

Sign this petition to demand that public safety comes before profit. Help us to stop the Weaver View development before it’s too late.