Currently under construction, Holford Gas Storage Facility in Cheshire will comprise eight purpose-built underground caverns capable of storing 162 million cubic metres of natural gas. When complete, it will be possible to withdraw gas from Holford at a rate of 16 million cubic metres per day - that's enough to meet the domestic needs of around 3 million homes and businesses.

Since acquiring the facility in 2005, we've worked hard to build trust and open two-way dialogue with the community. One of the things we did was to hold an exhibition to introduce ourselves, and to listen to what the community had to say.

We also set up a Local Liaison Committee (LLC) with representatives from local Parish Councils, Planning Officers from county and district councils, together with members of our Project Team. Meetings are held regularly, so members can raise any issues they might have. Local residents can raise issues through their Parish Council representative or contact us direct - we have issued a website contact address and provided phone contact details for our Site Manager.

As well as dealing with issues relating to the site, the Holford LLC allocates money from our community fund set up to support causes in the area. So far, funds have been given to a variety of projects ranging from improvements to village halls to support for Dial-A-ride car schemes. To ensure that the wider community is kept informed about site developments and the existence of the community fund, we distribute a newsletter throughout the local area.

Although we have established a number of 'formal' mechanisms for keeping people informed, by far the most effective has been direct personal contact with the Project Team.

Our Site Manager talks to local residents and farmers every day about issues important to them, such as traffic movements, landscaping, noise and light pollution. Maintaining this level of close, personal contact allows us to work with the community and to gain their trust. We aim to continue with this two-way relationship with the people of Holford over the lifetime of the project.