This morning the government announced it would to take decisions on fracking plans out of local authority hands. It will also consider ruling where companies appeal against a refusal of planning permission.

A statement said: “Today’s measures will mean Ministers will consider calling in any application for shale exploration, and will recover appeals on a case-by-case basis”.

Oil and gas companies and industry groups have welcomed the measures but community and environmental groups have accused the government of double standards.

OPPOSITION TO GOVERNMENT PLANS

Daisy Sands, head of energy campaigns, Greenpeace

“The contrast between [the government’s] view that local councils should be ‘masters of their own destiny’ and the new provisions announced today is staggering.

“Local residents could end up with virtually no say over whether their homes, communities and national parks are fracked or not.

“There is a clear double standard at play – the same government that is intent on driving through fracking at whatever cost has just given more powers to local councils to oppose wind farms, the cheapest source of clean energy. The government is riding rough-shod over democracy to industrialise our most beautiful landscapes and damage the climate.”

Naomi Luhde-Thompson, Friends of the Earth planning adviser

“Local authorities have been following the rules. A lot of these applications are unconventional and untested. Local authorities have to deal with something that’s very new and so yes, local authorities are asking for more information.”

Cllr Peter Box, environment spokesman for the Local Government Association

“People living near fracking sites – who are most affected by them – have a right to be heard. Local planning procedure exists for a reason, to ensure a thorough and detailed consultation with those communities.”

Anjie Mosher, Lancashire Nanas protest group

“If United Utilities cannot even respond to a problem at the treatment works, how will they cope with leaks from fracking? It would be an outrage if the government forces fracking through. People in Lancashire don’t want it. This shows democracy is not alive and well in this country.”

Caroline Lucas, Green party MP for Brighton Pavilion

“This is a shockingly anti-democratic and environmentally reckless move. Yet again, ministers are doing the dirty work of the shale gas industry and taking away the rights of local people to say no to fracking, whilst making contemptible claims that fracking is somehow compatible with tackling climate change.”

Frack Free Ryedale

“The announcement shows that the Government are determined to push through the industry’s agenda to frack the length and breadth of the UK, bypassing local democracy in the process. This is in stark contrast to the government’s recent decision to allow local communities to veto planning applications for wind farms. Why should communities have a veto on non-polluting wind farms, yet decisions about fracking wells are being taken out of local control?”

“The government have clearly lost the argument and have given up trying to convince communities that fracking would benefit them. Now they are resorting to veiled threats and bullying tactics to get applications passed. No wonder support for fracking is at an all-time low, with only 21% supporting fracking in the latest DECC survey (compared to 75% who support renewables).”

“Our experience in North Yorkshire is that council planning departments work extremely hard to follow the rules on planning applications, and try to allow applicants and local communities to have their say. These are complicated, multi-faceted applications that require expert scrutiny, and often clarification is sought on a number of issues before a final decision is made. Rushing them through is only going to cause further problems down the line – something that we can ill afford to do when our water, air and public health is at risk.”

“Also, what would happen if the fracking company asked for an extension – would they be refused? This happened in Lancashire when Cuadrilla realised that the planning officers had recommended refusal of the application on the basis of traffic and noise. Cuadrilla immediately asked for an extension of two months to allow them time to rewrite the noise and traffic sections of the application. It would appear from the government’s statement that this would not be allowed in future – or is it one rule for the fracking companies, and one rule for the local communities?”

Nick Clack, senior energy campaigner, Campaign to Protect Rural England

“Ministers talk of a national need for shale gas and oil, but have yet to make a convincing case to communities. These changes, which could see Government taking more decisions away from local people, won’t help to persuade them and could fuel division and disempowerment. Enabling broad local conversations about what appropriate local energy projects might be, taking full account of local environmental impacts, would be the most positive way forward.

“It is very concerning that it looks like Government has chosen a different path for fracking than for onshore wind planning, where recent welcome changes have sought to put local communities at the heart of decisions. Why is greater localism appropriate for some new energy projects, but not for others? It sounds disingenuous for the Government to claim that local communities will remain fully involved in shale gas and oil planning decisions if these decisions are ultimately taken by ministers.

“Taken with the weak statutory safeguards proposed for protected areas, today’s fracking announcement suggests a wish to create a fracking regime that works more effectively for developers than for local people and the environment.”

Gary McFarlane, Chartered Institute of Environmental Health

“Whilst we recognise the energy security challenges facing the UK, we’re concerned that there still remains insufficient evidence to confirm that all the potential risks associated with this process can be suitably reduced and managed within acceptable levels.

“The planning system is well-established and elected local representatives place the health and wellbeing of their constituents and the environment around them at the forefront of considerations when assessing applications. Indeed, such planning matters should follow the principle of subsidiarity and democracy.

“Councils therefore do not need to be placed under undue pressure from the government to fast-track fracking applications, especially when we do not know all the consequences from the extraction of shale gas.”

Councillor John Wilkinson, chairman of Nottinghamshire County Council’s planning committee:

“The Secretary of State has the authority to call-in any application to determine himself at any time – so there’s actually nothing new in terms of extra powers or instructions being announced today”.

“However, the tone of the comments is very disappointing and appears to be a threat to local democracy and decision-making.” (Quoted by Business Green)

North Yorkshire County Council

“It is essential that the county council, in making a decision on this application [Third Energy’s plans to frack at Kirby Misperton] diligently consults and then considers the representations it receives in line with relevant planning legislation and guidance.” (Quoted by Business Green)

Chris Hesketh, Frack Free Dudleston

“I don’t welcome it because it seems to be that it is less about what people think and another step towards the government imposing what it thinks is the right answer. They have lined up and decided what the public needs without talking with that public and any experts.” (Quoted by the Shropshire Star)

Gordon Marsden, Blackpool South MP (Labour)

“It is abuse of Parliamentary process in putting this out while the House is in recess. It is also a clear case of double standards when compared to wind farms. In those cases people can have their final say but when it comes to shale there is no say at all. “

“I think if they are attempting to have two different sets of standards for dealing with planning applications, then others may have a very strong case to challenge them via judicial review.

“They should think very hard about this and it blows out of the water their claims of being champions of localism.” (Quoted in the Blackpool Gazette)

Marcus Johnstone, Cabinet member for environment, planning and cultural services at Lancashire county council, and a Labour councillor on the development control committee

He told The Guardian that councils already had to make planning decisions within 16 weeks. The reason the Cuadrilla case had “dragged on” so long, he said, was the deadlines had been extended to get more information.

“I can see what the direction of travel is: it’s to remove local determinism, and the right of local people to have a say.”

“If they [government] don’t gauge the anger now, they run a real risk of not giving the public any outlet to express their views. If you shut out off the safety valve, you’re going to have problems.”

SUPPORT FOR GOVERNMENT PLANS

IGas

“IGas welcomes the announcement made today by Government that gives clarity on the timetable for determining planning decisions for onshore oil and gas exploration.”

“IGas has more than 30 years’ experience of safely and successfully extracting oil and gas onshore in Britain and we will continue to ensure that any risks or environmental impacts are minimised.   We also recognise that long term sustainable community engagement is critical to ensuring we maintain our social licence to operate and we are committed to working closely with our neighbours in the areas in which we operate.”

“Natural gas provides over a third of Britain’s overall energy needs including heating over 80% of our homes. Gas is used as a raw material in the manufacture of everyday household products such as plastics, detergents and textiles.  In Britain, over 800,000 people are employed in energy intensive industries and their supply chains.”

“Domestically produced shale gas has the potential to provide a real alternative to imports, creating and protecting many thousands of jobs, providing taxes and business rates to local authorities and additional benefits to local communities.”

Paul Raynes, director of policy at EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation

“Desperately needed reform was frustrating slow during the last parliament, but the new government has grasped the nettle and shown it is serious about the issue,” he said. “Today’s announcement respects democracy and community engagement, and is also good for energy security, good for growth and good for the UK.”

Cuadrilla Resources

“Local authorities are expected to assess and determine planning applications of all types within a certain timeframe so this announcement is primarily about getting the existing planning system to work as it is intended.”

“There is no good reason why an application for a shale gas exploration site should take three to four times longer to determine than an application for a major housing development, a supermarket or a large scale quarry.”

Ken Cronin, chief executive of the industry group, UK Onshore Oil and Gas

“Recent experience has shown that the planning process is unwieldy and the time taken for planning decisions has soared from three months to over a year, causing delay and cost and this is not [in] the interests of local people, the industry or indeed the British people”.

Dan Lewis, Senior Infrastructure Adviser, Institute of Directors

“We welcome the Government’s recognition of the need to iron out the kinks in system that mean shale companies are not being dealt with on a reasonable timescale.

“With gas prices so much lower than just a year ago, reducing the length and risk of planning has real urgency. Ironically largely due to US shale production, the profitable price for extraction from UK shale has effectively halved, so exploration costs and difficulties like planning must be tackled if shale is to succeed like it has in the US. Otherwise we will pay a much higher cost in lost industry, taxes and imports.”

INEOS

“This positive early action should help break the log jam that has developed in some areas of the country and give first mover advantage to those communities willing to quickly embrace the shale gas revolution.”

“INEOS has no doubt that this move will help England in particular, as a first mover in Europe, build a large and successful indigenous shale gas industry creating jobs future export opportunities.”

Updated at 9.55 to delete repeated quote by Paul Raynes

Updated on 17/8/15 to include reaction from CPRE, CIEH, Nottinghamshire County Council, Frack Free Dudleston, Gordon Marsden, IOD and INEOS