The outcome of the Roseacre Wood fracking inquiry, which ended last week, will be decided by James Brokenshire.
He was appointed Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government this morning. He replaces Sajid Javid, who became Home Secretary following the resignation of Amber Rudd.
Mr Brokenshire was Northern Ireland Secretary until January this year, when he resigned to undergo treatment for lung cancer.
Since 2010, he has represented the Conservative stronghold of Old Bexley and Sidcup , which has no current oil and gas licences. A search of his parliamentary speeches reveals no results for fracking or shale gas. Before going to Northern Ireland he spent two years from 2014 as an immigration minister.
He tweeted that he was especially looking forward to building “the homes our country needs”.
A former Communities Secretary, Greg Clark, announced in November 2015 that Cuadrilla’s Preston New Road and Roseacre Wood appeals would be decided by the Secretary of State, with a recommendation from the planning inspector.
The inspector at the 2016 public inquiry recommended refusal of the Roseacre Wood scheme on highway safety grounds, backing up the decision by Lancashire County Council. But Sajid Javid, who replaced Mr Clark in July 2016 after the inquiry ended, said he was minded to allow the appeal. He reopened the inquiry to allow Cuadrilla to provide more information on how it would deal with the safety issues.
More details on 2018 Roseacre Wood inquiry
More details on 2016 Roseacre Wood and Preston New Rod inquiry
Categories: Politics
DRILL OR DROP? 
https://drillordrop.com/2018/04/30/james-brokenshire-to-decide-cuadrillas-roseacre-wood-fracking-appeal/
Brokenshaw though DID vote against a fracking moratorium when it came up in the Infrastructure Act.
James Brokenshire? Well that should be interesting?
It seems the sudden departure of Amber Rudd has rearranged the musical chairs somewhat? Sajid Javid as Home Secretary? Oh well, onwards and upwards perhaps? Though it is difficult to avoid the impression that the practice of throwing oneself on ones own sword to protect the PM is becoming less than a rare event in this government? Is that loyalty or something closer to a Stalinist purge?
I cant resist some inevitable sense of irony in the name Brokenshire however? A little J R R Tolkein perhaps? Still maybe its best not to judge before the event, and that is breaking a trend on these pages?
Who knows? We might be pleasantly surprised yet?
Where is Strider when we need him? And Gollum?
Maybe we need Gandalf at Roseacre?
“They shall not pass!”
Glad to see the guy back and trust his treatment has been a complete success.
Always struck me as a competent chap with a calm way of dealing with complex issues. N. Ireland should have been a good test of that.
Ah jolly good. Not a green nut in sight.
Well here is one of them anyway? Whats it got in its pocketses?
some kind of precious it thinks?
Give us it Ratcliffe my love, it’s our birthday and we wants it?
Interesting that the first of May is also the last of Amber Rudd?
Maybe this particular dance around the May Poll is more of a sacrificial event rather than a celebration of summer fertility?
Enter Boris with his bladder on a stick? (not a euphemism!)
Oh I don’t know though?