PARISH councillors will be briefed on plans for a major gas pipeline through the countryside at a meeting next week.

The meeting at Redmarley Village Hall on Wednesday, April 26, will not be open to the public.

It has been called by National Grid as part of its consultation process and following a request from Forest of Dean District Council.

Construction of the 186km pipeline will start in March 2007 and it will run from Felindre, near Swansea, to Tirley in Gloucestershire.

In the local area, it will pass under the M50 to the north of Newent, north of Botslow, to the south of Kempley, south of Corse and on to Tirley. On its way, it will be drilled under the River Leadon and one of its tributaries.

Project spokesman Caroline Davidson said talks had already been held with local landowners to secure the route.

She added: "They have all received legal packages and documents and a number of landowners have signed consent forms."

The steel pipeline will have a diameter of 1,220mm and each section will be buried at least 1.2 metres deep.

Two contractors, Nacap Land and Marine Joint Venture and Murphy Pipelines Ltd, will construct the pipeline for National Grid. More than 1,000 people will be involved with the project at peak construction.

The pipeline will be a key strategic part of the country's supply network and will carry around 20 per cent of the amount needed for UK consumption.

It will carry regasified liquefied natural gas from two new terminals being built at Milford Haven in South Wales.

LNG will be brought into the port by tanker.