Cuadrilla had until Sunday 8 June 2025 to restore its former Lancashire fracking site at Preston New Road to farmland. But so far, the work has not started.
DrillOrDrop reports here on a summary of the progress of the clean-up and the countdown to the deadline. We also link to longer articles.
Cuadrilla missed the planning deadline of 8 December 2024 to complete plugging and abandoning the site’s two shale gas wells.
11 July 2025 – new application
Cuadrilla’s application for another two years to clean up the Preston New Road fracking site is published. DrillOrDrop report
27 June 2025 – county councillor statement
Fylde West county councillor, John Singleton, says on Facebook that he will address Lancashire County Council’s planning committee when it considers Cuadrilla’s application for two more years at Preston New Road. He says he will also ask the planning committee to serve an enforcement noticed because, he believes, planning conditions have been breached.
23 June 2025 – 10 years since PNR decision meeting begins
Lancashire County Council begins a meeting 10 years ago today to discuss plans for drilling and fracking at the proposed Preston New Road shale gas site. Nearly 50 people give evidence on the first day of the meeting in Preston. The proposal is refused on 29 June 2015.
21 June 2025 – more photos
Maple Independent Media recorded more drone photos of the Preston New Road site – now largely clear of equipment. The pictures show that the hard surfacing remains, even though planning conditions required the site to be returned to farmland by 8 June 2025.
All above photographs by Maple Independent Media
12 June 2025 – council officer response
Jonathan Haine, head of development management and planning policy, at Lancashire County Council, tells a local resident in a letter:
“I understand that the time extension is needed due to the groundwater monitoring requirements within the EA permit. That being the case, it would be very difficult for the County Council to argue that the monitoring is not required. However, my view is that this does not mean that the site needs to be retained in its current form until the very end of the monitoring period and that is the point I will be making to Cuadrilla.”
11 June 2025 – council statement on restoration
Lancashire County Council says it will “seek to “take steps to ensure that all the remaining restoration works are completed as swiftly as possible”. DrillOrDrop report
8 June 2025 – deadline day
Cuadrilla is required by its planning permission to restore the Preston New Road site to farmland. Work has not yet begun to remove the hard standing of the well pad or return top soil from the bunds to the site.
5 June 2025 – Cuadrilla to seek more time at PNR
The fracking company, Cuadrilla, has revealed it is to seek two more years at its mothballed shale gas site near Blackpool – just four days before the land should have been returned to agriculture. DrillOrDrop article
2 June 2025 – site entrance
30 May 2025 – new site images
All photos by Maple Independent Media
27 May 2025 – rig leaves
26 May 2025 – 14 days to deadline and the rig is down
The crane is still visible at Cuadrilla’s Preston New Road site but there’s no sign of the workover rig. 14 days remaining to the restoration deadline.
17 May 2025 – 23 days to deadline
23 days to the restoration deadline of Sunday 8 June 2025. The latest drone pictures show the rig remains in place. All photos by Maple Independent Media.
30 April 2025 – 40 days to deadline
40 days to go to the restoration deadline and the latest drone pictures show the silica sand has been removed. All photos by Maple Independent Media.
Cuadrilla’s parent company, AJ Lucas, also announced it had been given another nine days to refinance some of its debts. DrillOrDrop article
23 April 2025
20 April 2025 – 50 days to deadline
Cuadrilla now has 50 days until the planning deadline set by Lancashire County Council to restore Preston New Road to farmland.
More photos from Maple Independent Media below
18 April 2025 – new pictures and concerns about sand
All photos by Maple Independent Media
14 April 2025 – Rig back
12 April 2025 – Rig movement
New pictures suggest the decommissioning rig had been moved.
6 April 2025 – FOI response on clean-up deadline
The industry regulator gave Cuadrilla more time to plug and abandon its shale gas wells at Preston New Road in Lancashire, DrillOrDrop has discovered.
3 April 2025 – rig still in place
The rig is still in place at Preston New Road. A “low rumbling noise” is reported that could be felt as well as heard.
2 April 2025 – parliamentary answer
Lord Mackinlay of Richborough asks whether the decision to plug and abandon the Preston New Road wells was a matter for the company, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero or the North Sea Transition Authority. Link to question
The energy minister, Lord Hunt of Kings Heath, replies:
“decisions on whether to abandon wells are ultimately a matter for the company”
29 March 2025 – more photos
All photos by Maple Independent Media
26 March 2025 – 75 days to deadline
Cuadrilla has 75 days left to complete decommissioning and return the Preston New Road site to farmland
23 March 2025 – equipment images
All photos by Ros Wills
13 March 2025 – rig construction
The workover rig is now clearly visible above the security fencing. All photos below by Katrina Lawrie.
12 March 2025 – rig installation
The workover rig, used to plug and abandon the wells, is installed at Preston New Road. All photos below by Katrina Lawrie.
10 March 2025 – site gathering
Opponents of Cuadrilla’s operation gather outside the site entrance to mark the decommissioning of the Preston New Road shale gas site.
9 March 2025 – drone photos
Maple Independent Media drone photographs of Preston New Road (below).
5 March 2025 – flare leaves
Remaining flare leaves Preston New Road. Details
Drone filming of Preston New Road by Maple Independent Media (all six photos above)
1 March 2025 – 100 days to clean-up deadline
100 days to go to the restoration deadline of 8 June 2025. Details
27 February 2025 – equipment installed
Key equipment installed. Details
24 February 2025 – deliveries
More equipment enters frack site. Details
Photo: Katrina Lawrie
20 February 2025 – notice of work
Cuadrilla gives seven days’ notice of the start of plugging and abandonment work at Preston New Road. Details Equipment delivered. Details
28 January 2024 – rig details
Cuadrilla statement said the rig is expected to arrive towards the end of February. It also said:
“Cuadrilla plans to move equipment onto the Preston New Road site in the second half of February to start work on plugging the two PNR shale gas exploration wells with cement and removing the valves and surface pipework from the wells and from the site.”
8 December 2024 – deadline missed
Deadline for plugging and abandoning Preston New Road wells, missed by Cuadrilla. Details
7 June 2023 – permission extended
Cuadrilla gets more time to plug and abandon the Preston New Road shale gas wells and restore the site to farmland. Details
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