In the final episode of the series, we look at the now and next for Stanlow and its neighbouring towns and villages.

Most people will encounter Stanlow Oil Refinery from driving past it on one of the motorways that skirts its borders. Driving past at night, you’ll be met with thousands of its lights illuminating its various plants.

Once or twice a week, a test siren rings out from Stanlow Oil Refinery. A regular reminder of a vast, hazardous industrial area on their doorsteps. For such a huge petrochemical site, that’s been there so long, accidents are rare. But historic events highlight the danger to workers, people living nearby, and the emergency services who risk their lives to prevent potential disasters.

At the start of the 20th Century, oil companies are growing rapidly. But to transport oil to the people who need it most, they need to refine oil closer to where it’s needed. The site of an ancient Abbey in North West England became the ideal place for Shell to build a refining outpost near the River Mersey.

The new gleaming, magic black gold processed here is used to fight wars, fuel the growing demand for cars, and build the roads to drive them on.

The start of the 80s sees the worst recession since the second world war. Until now, the Stanlow Oil Refinery has been a generational employer, but over the course of just six years, half of the workforce is cut.

Stanlow oil refinery has been central to the UK’s industrial strategy for the past 100 years. How has it impacted its local community? And does it have a place in the future?