Opponents of shale gas have welcomed the refusal by Nottinghamshire County Council of an application by IGas for more time at its exploratory drilling site at Misson Springs. More details here.
IGas has now been ordered to restore Misson Springs, which has been mothballed since 2019.
The site is 125 metres from Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust’s Misson Carr Nature Reserve, a site of special scientific interest (SSSI).
The trusts ‘s head of nature recovery (North) Janice Bradley said:
“We’ve long stood shoulder to shoulder with campaigners and the local community to protect the wildlife of Misson Carr SSSI from operations designed to unlock huge reserves of fossil fuels, so we are delighted that sense has prevailed with today’s decision by Councillors.
We recognise that Councillors had a difficult decision to make in a finely balanced planning case, but it is reassuring that issues such as impacts on rare species in a protected nature reserve of national importance, the strain and uncertainty for local residents, and the deepening climate and ecological crises were given real weight in the Committee’s discussions.
All too often in planning decisions, commercial interests win out over the needs of communities and our shared environment, so today is definitely a good day for everyone who cares about nature and wants to see a wilder Nottinghamshire in the future.”
The campaign group, Frack Free Misson, says it was delighted by the decision.
It said:
“Bearing in mind the impacts in planning terms of letting the site be mothballed would be minimal, it was understandable, although disappointing, that the planning officers had recommended to approve the application.
“However, what they couldn’t estimate was the Planning Committee giving such a degree of consideration and weight to the community impacts. As Councillor Creamer pointed out, extensions to permissions for mineral extraction are normally quantifiable. This time they were being asked to make a decision on the hypothesis that the moratorium would in fact be lifted; there is currently no indication from government of any likelihood of that happening.
“The situation also highlighted the blind arrogance of the fracking industry which is still pursuing a business model that was built on a critical assumption that the UK geology would prove suitable. The OGA state that even ‘research proposed’ is inconsistent with government policy aims.
“In their commentary and debate, it was interesting that councillors frequently cited climate change and also recognised the shift in the energy landscape since the initial development was approved. The declaration of a Climate Emergency in May saw councillors yesterday acting with the intention to use it as a guiding principle in their decisions. Hopefully this reflects an increasing awareness among decision makers with regards the true meaning of ‘sustainability.’ The ethos of the planning system, i.e.; a presumption that any development somehow intrinsically constitutes human progress, is now being shown as fundamentally flawed and should be addressed through legislative review.
“Meanwhile local residents in Misson and supporters from across the UK and beyond have been sharing their delight at the councillors’ vote. “Just brilliant” sums it up whilst many praise the ongoing work behind the scenes by our committed group. To hold the industry to account is no mean feat. As one resident puts it: ‘Are we the mouse that roared?” Praise for the “cross-party support of our tiny village’ shows that such decisions about a small community has a global impact.”
IGas has not commented publicly on the council’s decision.
Categories: Opposition, slider
DRILL OR DROP? 
This is very good news. Now, will they remove the injunction?
Great news for foreign oligarchs, bad for British economy & climate change.
Had hoped protest industry would be diverted to anti-vax [edited by moderator]
Duh! IGas’s biggest investors are Australian and Indian oligarchs. Along with Igas’s other gloabal institutional investors, who knows who are pumping serious cash into them and where the real money is coming from? Certainly not the Brits I’d wager.
So for you, my friend, this is actually GOOD news!
As the moderator has no platformed much of my post little point in debating.
Just note that home produced oil is better for the economy AND environment than imported regardless of the source of investment.
So why is it that the industry always talk about reducing NET imports? Back in 2017, at a meeting in South Yorkshire, an Ineos executive was questioned on this point; ‘Can you guarantee that you won’t export this gas?’ His response was ‘we are a commercial organisation.’ (It is not hearsay; I was at that meeting.)
In 2016 the Climate Change Committee stated that the implications of shale gas on climate emissions were ‘subject to uncertainties.’ The governments case for fracking to be compatible with zero carbon targets was struck out of the National Planning Policy framework by the High Court due to its use of selected evidence.
Meanwhile, the UK cut back on domestic insulation programs, whilst continuing to export gas to non-geographical dependent locations during the summer months, having shut down the Rough offshore gas storage facility for reasons of economic feasibility. Funny how they wanted to declare fracking sites as Nationally Significant Infrastructure, but deny the same to the strategic storage of home produced gas. But then having a two week supply sitting offshore would suppress wholesale UK prices and thereby gas industry profits, and we have to recognise the nation’s priorities here don’t we?
The Wildlife trusts ‘s head of nature recovery (North) said:
“We’ve long stood shoulder to shoulder with campaigners and the local community to protect the wildlife of Misson Carr SSSI from operations designed to unlock huge reserves of fossil fuels.
Sorry but I was protesting at the IGas Gates every day and never had anyone from the Wildlife Trust stood at my shoulder!
Absolutely! They couldn’t have been less interested at the time! 😢😢 Pleased they opposed it this time though- it looks like they just waded in after the fight was over.
Another victory for the bullsht brigade that is hell bent on making us freeze to death because we will be unable to heat out houses. [Edited by moderator] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViY2J3LPgN4
Excellent news that NCC rejected Igas’ application. Let’s hope that Igas is actually held to all the remediation conditions, including restoring the former missile pads.
Some of the earlier comments re Notts Wildlife Trust are a bit unfair; NWT stood alongside Misson PC, Mission Community Action Group and others in putting forward strong objections at the original NCC Planning Meetings. Protesting at the site is one way of objecting, but not the only way, as this decision shows.