Councils dealing with planning applications for shale gas developments were invited today to bid for a share of £1.2m.
The government said the money would help mineral planning authorities get extra technical expertise and support.
The scheme, administered by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) offers money for dealing with applications for exploration, appraisal or production.
DCLG said:
“The fund will support the capability and capacity of mineral planning authorities to deal with applications, with due process and a fair hearing, in an efficient and timely manner.”
The Department said the money was available for:
- Pre-application discussions and scoping requests – up to £50,000
- Application processing – up to £170,000
- Post decision discharging and monitoring conditions – up to £30,000
The money is for the current financial year, ending in April 2018. It will not be available for legal challenges or contesting appeals against non-determination of an application, DCLG said.
Shale exploration – support for mineral planning authority
Update on 12/3/2020: links no longer go to the correct documents, which appear to have been removed from government website. But a screengrab of the announcement is available here
Categories: Regulation
DRILL OR DROP? 
According to an old Russian proverb — the only free cheese is on a mouse trap,
Well let’s hope that the extra technical help is from sources, independent of both the industry and the government; or from a balance of knowledgeable sources from those for and against the industry. This clearly sends a message to everyone that neither the government nor the Civil Services has sufficient technical expertise to support our Councils. No surprise there then.
Bid? Bid? Not pay in full? And what bout money for extra policing? What about supporting the county councils in appeals and threatened court cases from litigious operators?
Oh, yes I see nothing there to support appeals and non determination of applications is there?
“The money is for the current financial year, ending in April 2018. It will not be available for legal challenges or contesting appeals against non-determination of an application, DCLG said.”
In other words just an inadequate cynical drop in the proverbial ocean and leaves the county council high and dry if they refuse the applications and appeals.
What are we to gather from that?
Pre-application discussions. Like the ones that were recently criticised on DOD? Strange old world.
Why, Malcolm, would the Civil Services or the Government have the technical expertise you refer to? The surprise is you think they should. If having technical expertise in every aspect of industry was their responsibility it would make Westminster a lot more crowded than it is.
This may have worked 10yrs ago when councilors were half respectful, nowadays they don’t care about wasting tax payers money as long as it keeps them in their position of power.