The inquiry  considered four planning appeals by Cuadrilla against Lancashire County Council’s refusal of applications to drill and frack up to eight wells across sites at Preston New Road and Roseacre Wood and to establish seismic monitoring stations at the two sites. To read the posts, click the links shown in red

Result of the inquiry

Breaking: Government approves Cuadrilla’s Lancashire fracking plans at Preston New Road but Roseacre Wood on hold

Key themes

National need versus local impact

Cuadrilla fracking inquiry – review of key planning policies

Cuadrilla fracking inquiry – what happens now? Timetable to decision

Week 6

16th March 2016 – Day 19

Closing statements by Roseacre Awareness Group, Lancashire County Council and Cuadrillla

Reflections on Cuadrilla’s fracking inquiry

Live updates on final day of the inquiry

What happens on the final day of the inquiry?

Week 5

11th March 2016 – Day 18

Closing statements by Newton-with-Clifton Parish Council, Preston New Road Action Group, North and Western Lancashire Chamber of Commerce and Friends of the Earth

Summary of final arguments as inquiry nears the end

Live updates from Day 18 of Cuadrilla fracking inquiry – closing statements

10th March 2016 -Day 16

Public comments day

10-year-old at Cuadrilla inquiry urges PM and the Queen to stop fracking

Live updates of public statements to Cuadrilla fracking inquiry – Day 17 

9th March 2016 – Day 16

Evidence from Newton-with-Clifton Parish Council and discussion of planning conditions

20 key points from conditions discussion at Cuadrilla fracking inquiry

Live updates from Day 16 of Cuadrilla fracking inquiry – Newton-with-Clifton Parish Council and conditions session

8th March 2016 -Day 15

Evidence for Preston New Road Action Group on noise and landscape plus public comments session

Live updates on statements by opponents of Cuadrilla’s fracking plans.

Live updates on statements by supporters of Cuadrilla’s fracking plans.

“Elderly people need core sleep but they are not going to get it”, fracking inquiry told.

Live updates from Cuadrilla fracking inquiry Day 15 – Preston New Road Action Group evidence

Week 4

6th March 2016

Mind the gap: Inquiry exposes loophole in fracking waste regulations. Plus key points from Week 4

4th March 2016 – Day 14

Roseacre Awareness Group evidence on transport, recreation, residents’ issues and planning

Cuadrilla’s Roseacre fracking plans a “personal tragedy” for local people, inquiry told – and key community points from Day 14

Live updates from Cuadrilla fracking inquiry Day 1 – Roseacre residents

3rd March 2016 – Day 13

Roseacre Awareness Group evidence on landscape, noise and traffic

Roseacre Wood fracking site would “fundamentally change” community’s way of life – and key landscape evidence from Day 13

Major accident likely at 18 points on lorry route to Cuadrilla’s Roseacre Wood site, inquiry told – and key transport evidence from Day 13.

Cuadrilla likely to breach noise conditions at Roseacre Wood, fracking inquiry hears +| noise evidence from Day 13, including “people will become more sensitive, not less, to drilling noise”.

Live updates from day 13 of public inquiry into Cuadrilla’s plans to frack in Lancashire – Roseacre residents’ evidence

2nd March 2016 – Day 12

Friends of the Earth evidence on health and planning

Environment Agency “washed its hands” of available waste treatment, inquiry told + other key points from Day 12

Health case against shale gas exploration is convincing, expert tells fracking inquiry + key health issues from Day 12 

Live updates from day 12 of public inquiry into Cuadrilla’s plans to frack in Lancashire 

Cuadrilla fracking inquiry – what’s happening in Week 4? 

Week 3

28th February 2016

What would a 53m drilling rig look like? Plus key points from Week 3

26th February 2016 – Day 11

Friends of the Earth evidence on climate change and waste

Live updates from Cuadrilla fracking inquiry Day 11 – climate change and waste

Top 10 points on climate change – Day 11

Top 10 points on waste – Day 11

25th February 2016 – Day 10

Lancashire County Council planning evidence and second public session

Cuadrilla fracking inquiry Day 10 – what the supporters say about Preston New Road?

Cuadrilla fracking inquiry Day 10 – what opponents said about Preston New Road

Live updates from day 10 of Cuadrilla fracking inquiry –  Lancashire County Council evidence on planning policy

Top 10 points on planning policy – Day 10

24th February 2016 – site visits

Updates and pictures of site visits by Cuadrilla fracking inquiry, including launch of a blimp balloon to indicate the 56m rig height at Preston New Road. 

23rd February 2016 – Day 9

Lancashire County Council noise and traffic evidence

Live updates from day 9 of Cuadrilla fracking inquiry – Lancashire County Council evidence on noise and traffic

Top 10 points on noise at Preston New Road – Cuadrilla fracking inquiry Day 9

Top 10 points about traffic at Roseacre Wood – Cuadrilla fracking inquiry Day 9

22nd February 2016

Cuadrilla fracking inquiry – what’s happening in Week 3?

Key issues from Week 2 of the Cuadrilla fracking inquiry

Week 2

Key issues from Week 2 of the Cuadrilla fracking inquiry

21st February 2016

“We are people, not receptors”, fracking inquiry told. Key points from Week 2 

19th February 2016 – day 8

Lancashire County Council landscape evidence

Live updates from Cuadrilla fracking inquiry Day 8 – landscape

18th February 2016 – day 7

North and Western Chamber of Commerce evidence on economic issues

Will shale gas frack the Lancs economy – review of the economic and business cases

Live updates from Cuadrilla fracking inquiry Day 7 – business and economics

17th February 2016 – day 6

Cuadrilla’s traffic evidence and first public session

First evening public session of the Cuadrilla fracking inquiry- what the opponents said about Roseare Wood

First evening public session of the Cuadrilla fracking inquiry- what the supporters said about Roseare Wood

Who said what about the traffic route to Roseacre Wood – key issues from the fracking inquiry Day 6. 

Live updates from Cuadrilla fracking inquiry Day 6 – traffic

16th February 2016 – day 5

Cuadrillla’s landscape and traffic evidence

Who said what at today’s fracking inquiry? Key points on landscape and traffic

Live updates from Cuadrilla fracking inquiry Day 5 – traffic and landscape

15th February 2016

Cuadrilla’s fracking inquiry – what’s happening in week 2?

Week 1

13th February 2016

Battleground issues in Cuadrilla fracking inquiry at end of week 1

12th February 2016 – day 4

Cuadrilla’s noise and landscape evidence

Live updates from day 4

11th February 2016 – day 3

Cuadrilla’s noise evidence

Live updates from day 3

A few lost nights sleep can make you ill. Full report on noise from Day 3

Anti-fracking groups criticise arrangements at inquiry

10th February 2016 – day 2

Cuadrilla’s planning evidence

Fracking damage to tourism – but only short-term. Full report from Day 2

Live updates from day 2 

9th February 2016 – day 1

Rallies, introduction and Cuadrilla’s planning evidence

Live updates from day 1

‘Fracking through our eyes – photo exhibition premiers as inquiry opens (9th February 2016)

Click for links to all the posts from the inquiry

Who’s who

Inquiry inspector: Wendy McKay

Programme officer: Yvonne Parker

Cuadrilla’s barrister: Nathalie Lieven QC

Lancashire County Council’s barrister: Alan Evans

Friends of the Earth’s barrister: Estelle Dehon

Newton with Clifton Parish Council representative: Cllr Peter Collins

North and Western Lancashire Chamber of Commerce representative: Peter Whitehead

Preston New Road Action Group barrister: Ashley Bowes will call two or three witnesses on planning, landscape and noise.

Roseacre Awareness Group and Roseacre and Wharles Parish Council barrister: Robin Green

Westby with Plumpton Parish Council: Cllrs J Brickles and James Taylor

More information

The inquiry was held at Blackpool Football Club Conference Centre, Bloomfield Road, Seasiders Way, Blackpool FY1 6JJ

Core documents for the inquiry can be accessed here

Proofs of evidence can be accessed here

An inquiry programme  available here

Updates from Lancashire County Council