Photo: Nottinghamshire County Council

A legal agreement required for final planning consent at Nottinghamshire’s first shale gas site has been delayed for another month.

The agreement for Springs Road, Misson, had first been expected by 5 January and then the end of last month.

But Nottinghamshire County Council announced this morning the agreement would now not be finalised until the end of February.

A council spokesperson said:

“Due to the complexity of the agreement and the number of partners involved, the revised target date for completion has been extended to 28 February.”

Councillors voted by seven to four in favour of the application for two exploratory shale gas wells at a meeting last November.

Approval was subject to a legal agreement, known as a Section 106, covering issues including:

• Provision of a restoration bond
• Designated route for heavy goods vehicles (HGVs)
• Code of conduct for HGV drivers
• Responsibility for damage caused by vehicles to lie with the applicant, Dart Energy (East England) Ltd – an IGas subsidiary
• Establishment of a community liaison committee
• Monitoring of water levels

The council said:

“Once issued, the planning permission will also include 37 conditions to minimise the impacts of the development on the environment and local communities.”

Any legal challenge to the Springs Road planning permission must begin within six weeks of the final granting of planning permission.

• The date of the planning meeting which will decide another Nottinghamshire shale gas application, at Tinker Lane, Torworth, will be confirmed next week, but is expected to be Tuesday 21 February 2017
  

  ---

  This report is part of DrillOrDrop’s Rig Watch project. Rig Watch receives funding from the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust. More details here