Reporting of the regulation of the shale oil and gas and hydraulic fracturing industry, including planning permissions and permits
Balcombe Parish Council is to ballot villagers on their opinion on future oil and gas exploration in the area. The ballot, to be run by Electoral Reform Services, will inform the council’s future policy on exploration and extraction. It aims to collect opinions on: Cuadrilla’s application for planning […]
Last week, the European Parliament voted by 354 votes to 300 to extend compulsory Environmental Impact Assessments to hydraulic fracturing operations. The vote among UK MEPs was 29 in favour and 32 against. 8 UK MEPs were absent and 4 didn’t vote. Most […]
The Guardian reports that the Environment Agency banned Cuadrilla from using a hazardous chemical in its well at Balcombe but gave permission for another substance, despite residents’ concerns. Chris Wick, of the Environment Agency, told a meeting of around 270 Balcombe residents the banned chemical was antimony trioxide, […]
The chair of the Environment Agency, Chris Smith, has assured a Sussex MP that local water will be protected from any pollution caused by fracking at Balcombe or beyond. Lord Smith was responding to concerns raised by Lewes MP, Norman Baker, about the potential expansion of fracking across […]
The European Parliament has voted to make environmental impact assessments compulsory before fracking can go ahead. Under the current Environmental Impact Assessment Directive, many shale gas projects have avoided the need for an EIA because they extract less than 500,000 cubic metres a day. MEPs, who are reviewing the directive, […]
7-13th October Cuadrilla’s planning application to continue to explore for oil at Lower Stumble, Balcombe, expected to be publicised by West Sussex County Council Tuesday October 8th House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee discusses the economic impact on UK energy policy of shale gas and oil Deadline expires […]
Update to Timeline – September 2013 30/9/13 Anti-fracking protestors begin to leave the camp outside Cuadrilla’s site at Balcombe. The Guardian reports that tents, banners and makeshift structures are being cleared from verges. Cuadrilla closed the exploratory well before its planning permission expired on Saturday September 28th. The […]
Update to Timeline – September 2013 24/9/13 Police help Cuadrilla breach planning permission Sussex Police tells West Sussex County Council that lorries entering and leaving the Cuadrilla site at Balcombe this week will use different routes. This would be a breach of the company’s planning permission. In a […]
Paul Batty Environment Agency officer responsible for issuing permits Simon Deacon Environment Agency technical specialist groundwater & contaminated land Divisional Manager County Development This postholder granted original Cuadrilla planning permission Louise Goldsmith Leader of West Sussex County Council She said: “I am very sorry for the disruption that […]
DRILL OR DROP? 