Council slams Ellesmere Port hydrogen village decision tweet

Gas firm Cadent had applied for Whitby in Ellesmere Port to be included as the site for the pilot

A council leader has criticised an announcement being made about a planned hydrogen village trial on social media.

Government minister Lord Callanan tweeted Whitby in Ellesmere Port would not be a hydrogen village.

But the Labour leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council criticised the communications around the decision, saying the council "can't make decisions on a tweet".

The government has been approached for comment.

The local authority was due to discuss plans to hold a poll for residents on the proposals for a hydrogen village in Whitby, at its cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

Council leader Louise Gittins told the meeting she had been contacted by the government over the phone to be told they were minded not to award the trial to Whitby.

She said she asked for the information in writing but was told that it was not possible in the timeframe.

Minister Lord Callanan then tweeted it was "clear there is no strong local support" and Whitby would not be considered to host the trial.

The cabinet agreed to defer the item on the poll but not withdraw it.

Louise Gittins said the authority still had not received anything in writing

Ms Gittins said: "I don't want us to get a position to make decisions on what we read on social media.

"The recommendation is that we defer it, so we don't go ahead with the poll, we defer it until we get consideration of any further information from the government and we can't make decisions on a tweet.

"I think we just defer it to if and when we need to come back to it and that's in recognition of all the work that's gone into preparing it."

Her comments were echoed by deputy leader Karen Shore.

"It is right and proper we defer the poll and that is to safeguard our residents if there is any change in direction, bearing in mind it was only on the basis of a tweet, that we still have the capacity to deliver to them what we promised which is a vote on the proposal," she said.

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Speaking to BBC Radio Merseyside, Ms Gittins said the council still had not received anything in writing.

"I had an email to say there was going to be tweeting on the subject, but they could have actually put that in there," she said.

"But we've had nothing and we're still trying to get that feedback. It's not a way to run a government by making announcements on Twitter."

The government has not yet responded to a request for comment on the announcement being made on social media.