ESSO has announced the preferred corridor for its Southampton to London pipeline project.

The current underground pipeline supplies aviation fuel to some of the UK’s busiest airports and runs from Esso’s Fawley Refinery near Southampton to its West London terminal storage facility in Hounslow, passing through Alton as it links up with the Alton Pumping Station on the A31 at Upper Froyle.

Having run a first consultation between March 19 and April 30 to hear the views of local communities about the proposed corridors for its replacement fuel pipeline, Corridor Options G and J are to be progressed to the next stage of route development.

According to Esso, a total of 11 consultation exhibitions were held across Hampshire and Surrey, among them Alton and Ropley, attended overall by more than 1,900 people and resulting in over 1,000 consultation responses.

After the close of the consultation, an independent expert collated all the consultation responses, which have now been analysed. The technical data, engineering and environmental experts and the in-depth analysis of the consultation responses have helped to select a preferred pipeline corridor to progress.

As a result Esso has revealed that it will be looking at Option G for the stretch of pipeline between Boorley Green and Alton and Option G and Option J as the preferred corridor between Alton and the West London Terminal storage facility in Hounslow.

The two options selected are those that most closely follow the existing pipeline and, when combined, they form the single preferred corridor.

The Frimley Park Hospital sub-option was included in Option J, but has been removed due to concerns around traffic management in the area and obstruction to emergency services.

Esso’s project executive for the Southampton to London Pipeline Project, Tim Sunderland, said: “We thank everyone who took part in the consultation. The feedback received was very helpful. Now that we have selected a preferred pipeline corridor, we will continue our conversations with local authorities, parish councils and landowners, where necessary, to understand local environmental and engineering features, as well as the potential impacts of the pipeline. We will now develop a route, which will follow the preferred corridor, that will typically be a width closer to 20-30 metres.”

The results of the consultation into the preferred pipeline route are expected to be published in the autumn when a second public consultation will provide an opportunity for further comment on the project.

Speaking on behalf of Alton Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ACCI), chairman Stephen Lewis said: “ACCI welcomes the investment in infrastructure to keep the fuel supplies flowing to Heathrow for years to come.

“Many people will be unaware of the existing pipeline, and the proposed replacement will be equally as unobtrusive once installed. Esso have gone to great lengths to explore a range of different options, but the route around Alton is well away from habitation, so the installation work should not be a great inconvenience.”

Mr Lewis continued: “The main disruption will be to the owner of the new solar PV farm on the B3004 Kingsley road (opposite Worldham Golf Course) who may well have to reconfigure their panels to allow for the new pipeline to pass through.”

He continued: “There is, of course, the environmental concern that petrochemical fuels are not good for people, animals and plants, but there is a growing movement to develop alternative fuels and vehicles, which is reassuring.

“However, until the day comes when we all have electric or hydrogen-fuelled vehicles, it is important for holiday-makers, businesspeople and cargo that the fuel continues to flow, keeping the economy going.”