Cadent to allow Whitby residents to participate in proposed Hydrogen Village trail

Cadent and British Gas have written to all 2,000 residents living in the proposed location of the Hydrogen Village in Whitby, Ellesmere Port, offering them the choice to participate in the programme.

This opt-in/opt-out offer comes after 10 months of in-person and virtual consultation, with Cadent and British Gas collating views and feedback that will inform their final submission due to be delivered to the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero in the coming days.

Cadent has acted on the feedback received and has confirmed that in its proposal, which sets out how the programme will run, it will now be offering residents a choice to be involved in the Hydrogen Village programme and use hydrogen to heat their homes or stay on natural gas.

To deliver this, Cadent proposes to lay a parallel gas main in Whitby. The existing gas main will transport hydrogen to the properties that opt into the programme, and the newly laid main will supply natural gas to any properties that decide to opt out.

Marc Clarke said, “We have been in listening mode throughout this entire consultation period. We have heard a lot of things that residents like about the programme and equally things that they would like us to change. At Cadent, we are accountable to the 11m customers we serve and their feedback shapes and guides how we operate every single day. The Hydrogen Village programme is no different.

“There has been a broad church of opinions that have come from right across the local community.  This input is vitally important to how we shape our plans and submission, and we have always stated that we will only do what is right for the community.  We have acted on what we have heard, and we believe we are doing the right thing. We hope that the local community will choose to play their part in this programme, taking advantage of the many benefits on offer as they help us understand the future of heating.”

Tim Green said, “At British Gas, we’re on a mission to lower household emissions for good, and we believe the qualities of hydrogen mean it could play a pivotal role in achieving this.

“Delivering what customers want is at the heart of everything we do at British Gas, which is why we support this revised proposal.  It gives customers a clear choice and is why we are proud to be partnering with Cadent to deliver this government-backed programme in Whitby”.