Southport gas holder
Coordinates: 53°38′31″N 2°57′54″W / 53.642°N 2.965°W
Southport Gas Holder was once the tallest structure in the northern town of Southport, England for 40 years. The 84.5 m (277 ft) high structure could be seen from miles around, for example from Blackpool and Winter Hill. To some people of the local area it was an instantly recognisable symbol of home coming after being away for weeks. It was built in 1969 in the Blowick area of Southport (1.7 miles from the town centre) – grid reference SD362167. It acted as a storage unit guaranteeing the town's gas supply. Similar structures were built across the country when town gas was generated from coal and before the construction of a high pressure gas grid.
The largest tower was decommissioned in January 2008, due to an environmental risk posed by the storage of oil within it. Discussions soon came as it was decommissioned and just weeks later it was decided by National Grid plc, that two out of the three gas holders (including the largest) would be completely demolished as soon as mid-2009. This sparked mixed reviews. Some people thought that the tower was a symbol of Southport, and should not be destroyed. Others however (mostly those who lived directly in the shadow of the tower) disagreed and could not wait to see the back of it. The tower caused problems for local residents such as poor TV reception.
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