Less than a fortnight before an appeal on plans for long-term oil production in the Lincolnshire Wolds, the operator has made a new offer.
Egdon Resources and the owners of its oil site at Biscathorpe near Louth have submitted a draft formal undertaking on tree planting and a community liaison group.
A 19-page document, posted online this week, makes formal commitments if planning permission were granted after a hearing next week.
The company wants to drill a sidetrack well at Biscathorpe and produce oil for 15 years.
Lincolnshire County Council refused planning permission nearly a year ago. It said the scheme would harm the Lincolnshire Wolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and noise would be unacceptable.
Egdon Resources appealed against the decision and the arguments from both sides will be made again at an appeal hearing in front of a planning inspector.
The document, called a planning obligation by unilateral undertaking, addresses part of Lincolnshire County Council’s case to the hearing.
The council said Egdon’s scheme was unacceptable because it had not made a formal commitment for ecological improvements, continuous aftercare and a community liaison group.
The undertaking, if implemented, would require Egdon and the landowners to:
- Maintain a landscape and biodiversity planting scheme while the site was operating
- Replace damaged or dead trees or shrubs in the next planting season
- Maintain the planting scheme for five years
- Operate and maintain the community liaison group for the duration of the development
The draft undertaking, dated 29 September 2022, would be regulated under section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990. A unilateral undertaking allows a person to enter into a planning obligation without the council’s agreement.
If planning permission were granted for Biscathorpe, the document would be signed by Egdon Resources and the three landowners (Frank, Kevin Anthony and David John Wallis).
- DrillOrDrop will be reporting from the planning hearing on Tuesday 11 October 2022, from 10am-5pm at Kenwick Park Hotel, near Louth
Categories: Regulation, slider
DRILL OR DROP? 
well done egdon puting back the trees and the upkeep of the area
Only at the 11th hour do they commit to this. Why not previously? Because, these companies will always do the bare minimum …. up to the point that they are forced to do better.
Shame protestors are not so good at leaving areas as they found them, Alex.