Vote on the Woodsetts application, 8 March 2018. Photo: DrillOrDrop

2018 decisions

Last updated 9 March 2018

8 March 2018: INEOS/Woodsetts – REFUSED

Labour-controlled Rotherham Metropolitan Council unanimously refused permission for INEOS’s vertical coring well at Woodsetts on ecological and highway grounds. DrillOrDrop live updates and reaction report

5 February 2018: INEOS/Marsh Lane – OPPOSED

Conservative-controlled Derbyshire County Council voted 9-1 to oppose INEOS plans for vertical shale gas exploration well at Bramleymoor Lane, Marsh Lane, when it goes to a public inquiry on 19 June 2018. DrillOrDrop live updates and reaction report

Public applause for the opposition to INEOS plans for Marsh Lane, 5 February 2018. Photo: DrillOrDrop

25 January 2018: IGas/Ellesmere Port – REFUSED

Labour-controlled Cheshire West and Chester Council refused plans by IGas for testing the Pentre Chert formation at its existing gas well at Portside in Ellesmere Port. The company is considering an appeal. The council says the vote was 10-1 against the application. DrillOrDrop report

Opponents of IGas plans outside Cheshire West and Chester Council. Photo: DrillOrDrop

25 January 2018: INEOS/Harthill – OPPOSED

Labour-controlled Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council’s planning board voted unanimously to oppose INEOS’s shale gas vertical well for Harthill when it goes to a public inquiry due to start on 24 April 2018. DrillOrDrop

Site visit to the proposed Harthill lorry route, 25 January 2018. Photo: Paul Rowland

24 January 2018: Cuadrilla/Roseacre Wood – OPPOSED

Conservative-controlled Lancashire County Council’s development control committee voted unanimously to oppose Cuadrilla’s traffic management plans for Roseacre Wood when they go to a public inquiry scheduled to start on 10 April 2018. DrillOrDrop report

Cuadrilla’s revised proposals for traffic routes to Roseacre Wood – opposed by Lancashire County Council , 24 January 2018. Map: Cuadrilla Resources

9 January 2018: Cuadrilla/Balcombe – APPROVED

Conservative-controlled West Sussex County Council voted unanimously to allow Cuadrilla’s application for flow testing at its horizontal well at Balcombe. (Site operation has since been transferred to Angus Energy). DrillOrDrop report

Speakers at West Sussex County Council planning meeting, 9 January 2018. Photo: DrillOrDrop

4 January 2018: Egdon/Wressle – REFUSED

Planning inspector, Keri Williams, backed two decisions by Conservative-controlled North Lincolnshire Council to refuse permission to Egdon Resources for acidisation, proppant squeeze and oil production at Wressle, near Scunthorpe. The planning inquiry was in November 2017 and the applications refused in January and July 2017. DrillOrDrop report

Planning inspector, Keri Williams, at the Wressle inquiry in November 2017. Photo: DrillOrDrop

Applications in the planning system

Last updated: 9 March 2018

Angus Energy/Brockham, Surrey SCC ref 2017/0215

Drilling the sidetrack well in 2018. Photo: Brockham Protection Camp

Angus has submitted a three-part application seeking retrospective permission for a sidetrack drilled in January 2017 and retention of a well beyond 2008. It is also seeking permission for appraisal of the sidetrack. A public consultation runs from 20 March-18 April 2018. This is expected to be heard by Surrey County Council’s planning committee on 23 May 2018.

Angus Energy/Lidsey, West Sussex WSCC/008/18/BN

Angus is seeking to retain the Lidsey site to produce oil for another 10 years.

Aurora Resources/Altcar Moss, Lancashire SCP/2018/0001

Aurora has submitted a scoping request to Lancashire County Council for drilling and fracking two wells near Formby. No formal application has been submitted.

Egdon Resources/Biscathorpe, Lincolnshire PL/0030/18

Egdon has applied to vary a condition of its permission granted in 2015 for an oil exploration site. Condition 1 required work to be completed and the site restored by 28 February 2018. The company is seeking another three years. There are no details yet of a target decision date.

Egdon Resources/North Kelsey, Lincolnshire PL/0011/18

Egdon has applied to vary a condition of its permission granted in 2014 for an oil exploration site. Condition 1 required work to be completed and the site restored by December 2017. No work has been carried out. The company is seeking another three years. The target date for the application to go before Lincolnshire County Council’s planning committee is 9 April 2018.

Europa/Bury Hill Wood (also called Holmwood and Leith Hill),  Surrey SCC Ref 2016/0170

This scheme, approved in August 2015 for three years, is waiting for the final approval of the traffic management plan. It is expected to come before Surrey County Council’s planning committee on 18 April 2018.

IGas/Ince Marshes, Cheshire

IGas submitted a scoping request in October 2017 to drill and frack two shale gas wells at an already drilled site at Protos (formerly known as Ince Resource Recovery Park). The existing well would be reinstated and used to monitor drilling and testing the two new wells. Link to scoping request

INEOS/Bramleymoor Lane, Derbyshire

Planning appeal to be decided following an eight-day public inquiry due to start on 19 June 2018 at 10am at the Market Hall, The Assembly Rooms, Soresby Street, Chesterfield.

INEOS/Harthill, Rotherham

Planning appeal to be decided following an eight-day public inquiry due to start on 24 April, at The Gallery, Riverside House, Main Street Rotherham S60 1AE.

Third Energy/pipeline and Vale of Pickering sites

Third Energy has requested screening opinions on extending the duration of planning permissions for its gas pipeline to Knapton Generating Station and the Vale of Pickering sites

UKOG/Markwells Wood, West Sussex SDNP/16/04679/CM

UK Oil and Gas (Investments) PLC withdrew its application for 20 years of oil production in May 2017 and said it would submit a new one by the end of the year. This has not happened and the site has no planning permission. The South Downs National Park Authority had been expected to require the site to be restored. DrillOrDrop understands that an enforcement notice is imminent.

Ones to watch

We’ll also be looking out for applications expected to be submitted by:

• IGas plans for oil exploration at Baxter’s Copse and West Dean in West Sussex
• IGas plans for drilling and fracking at Elton in Cheshire
• Egdon Resources for additional wells in Lincolnshire
• INEOS has identified possible shale gas sites on Forestry Commission land at The Lings near Edwinstowe and Thieves Wood near Ravenshead, both in Nottinghamshire
• UKOG says it will submit an application in PEDL331 on the Isle of Wight

Please let us know about any other proposals which have not yet reached planning application stage by clicking here

DrillOrDrop has reported on all the 2018 decision meetings listed on this page. This has been possible because of donations by individual DrillOrDrop readers.