Vote on the Woodsetts application, 8 March 2018. Photo: DrillOrDrop
This page lists planning decisions and applications for UK onshore oil and gas sites for 2017-2019. Last updated 9/10/2019
Applications in the planning system
Updated 13/1/2020
Angus Energy/Balcombe, West Sussex WSCC/071/19
Angus Energy application for an extended well test of up to three years. Decision meeting due on 25 February 2020. Details
Aurora Resources/Altcar Moss, Lancashire LCC/2019/0037
Proposed shale gas wells that Aurora Resources seeks to drill, frack and test near Great Altcar, Lancashire. Source: planning application
Aurora has submitted application to Lancashire County Council to drill and frack two shale gas wells at Great Altcar near Formby. No date for decision meeting. Details
Cuadrilla Elswick Ltd/Elswick, Lancashire
Application submitted but not yet published for retention of gas site and electricity generation for a further five years.
IGas/Ellesmere Port, Cheshire appeal ref APP/A0665/W/18/3207952
Outcome due on or before 8 April in inquiry into IGas appeal over refusal of permission for flow testing at its Portside One site at Ellesmere Port. Link to public inquiry Appeal has been recovered by the local government secretary.
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
IGas/Loxhill-Dunsfold
IGas says it will submit an application for a site off Godalming Road, Loxhill, north of Dunsfold in Surrey. August 1 2019 drop-in information session postponed until after the summer.
Ineos/Woodsetts, Rotherham Ref RB2018/0918, appeal ref APP/P4415/W/19/3220577
Outcome due on or before 8 April in inquiry into refusal of permission for shale gas exploration. Appeal has been recovered by the local government secretary.
South Western Energy/Puddletown Ref WD/D/19/002866
Application to establish and construct a site compound and drill a single vertical well for appraisal and production of oil. Decision due 4 March 2020.
Third Energy/pipeline and Vale of Pickering sites
Third Energy has applied to extend the duration of planning permissions for its gas pipeline to Knapton Generating Station and the Vale of Pickering sites. Opposed by Ryedale District Council. Decision due at meeting on 21 January 2019. Details and link to committee agenda
UKOG/High Loxley Road, Dunsfold, Surrey
SCC ref 2019/0072 and SCC Ref 2019/0108
Location (marked in white) of UKOG’s Dunsfold site and access track, based on information in the company’s leaflet. Image source: Google Maps
Estimated decision date for vertical and sidetrack wells and site entrance at Dunsfold is 27 February 2020. Details and background Second application with an alternative site access submitted.
UKOG/Arreton and Godshill, Isle of Wight
No applications yet submitted
Plans published and EIA screening decision sought for vertical and sidetrack wells on both sites. Details
Ones to watch
We’ll also be looking out for applications expected to be submitted by:
- 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
Please let us know about any other proposals which have not yet reached planning application stage by clicking here
2020 decisions
17 January 2020: Egdon Resources/Wressle APPROVED
Appeal allowed for 15 years of oil production. Details and appeal ref APP/Y2003/W/19/3221694
2019 decisions
11 September 2019: HHDL/Horse Hill APPROVED
Surrey County Council approved HHDL’s application for four news production wells and 20 years of oil production at Horse Hill. Details and opponents announced plans to see a judicial review
2 July 2019: BGS/Ince Marshes APPROVED
Cheshire West and Chester council approved the BGS application for a UK Geo-Energy Observatory. Details
1 July 2019: Egdon Resources/North Kelsey APPROVED
Lincolnshire County Council approved two separate applications to amend conditions in an earlier permission to drill and test an exploration well. The changes include new layout and site liner, two lighting towers, extra cabins, tanks and facilities and higher noise limits.
23 April 2019: Infinis Energy/Rufford Hills Farm APPROVED
Nottinghamshire County Council’s planning committee voted by 7 in favour and 5 abstentions for a scheme by Infinis Energy to extract mines methane from the disused Ollerton colliery from a site near Rufford Abbey historic parkland. Details
15 February 2019: Angus Energy/Lidsey APPROVED
Planning officers at West Sussex County Council approved under delegated powers round-the-clock oil production at Lidsey. Other operations remain restricted to 7.30am-6pm Monday-Saturday. Details
12 February 2019: Cuadrilla/Roseacre Wood REFUSED
Part of the lorry route to Cuadrilla’s proposed Roseacre Wood site. Photo: DrillorDrop
The local government secretary, James Brokenshire, refused planning permission after Cuadrilla’s appeal for drilling and fracking up to four wells at Roseacre Wood near Blackpool. Breaking news and link to decision notice. Cuadrilla announced it was not appealing against the decision
31 January 2019: Ineos/Harthill CHALLENGE QUASHED
A judge at the High Court dismisses a statutory challenge from Harthill Against Fracking to the Planning Inspectorate’s approval of planning permission for Ineos Upstream’s shale gas exploration plans at Harthill in south Yorkshire. Breaking news
25 January 2019: Egdon/Wressle GRANTED
Planning inspector grants permission to Egdon Resources to operate its Wressle site, near Scunthorpe for another 12 months. Details
2018 decisions
3 December 2018: Egdon/Biscathorpe GRANTED
Lincolnshire County Council approved a retrospective planning application for security cabins at Egdon’s Biscathorpe site near Louth
28 November 2018: Egdon/Wressle REFUSED
North Lincolnshire Council refused another application from Egdon Resources for long-term oil production at its Wressle site near Scunthorpe. Breaking news
11 September 2018: UKOG/Broadford Bridge GRANTED
West Sussex County Council approved an application by UKOG to extend permission for operations at its Broadford Bridge exploration site. Breaking news
7 September 2018: Ineos/Woodsetts REFUSED
Rotherham Council again refused permission to Ineos for an exploratory shale gas site at Woodsetts. Breaking news
Campaigners against Ineos plans for Woodsetts, Rotherham Town Hall, 7 September 2018. Photo: DrillOrDrop
16 August 2018: Ineos/Bramleymoor Lane – APPEAL ALLOWED
Planning inspector, Elizabeth Hill, allowed Ineos’s appeal against non-determination of plans for shale gas exploration at Bramleymoor Lane, Marsh Lane in Derbyshire. Breaking news and reaction
8 August 2018: Angus Energy/Brockham – GRANTED
Surrey County Council’s planning committee granted retrospective planning permission for a oil exploration sidetrack drilled in 2017. The committee also allowed continued use of the wellhead and for appraisal of the sidetrack for three years. Live news updates and reaction
1 August 2018: Egdon/Wressle – REFUSED
North Lincolnshire Council’s planning committee unanimously voted to refuse permission to Egdon Resources for another three years at its oil exploration site at Wressle. Live news updates and reaction
7 June 2018: Ineos/Harthill – APPEAL ALLOWED
Planning inspector, Stephen Roscoe, allowed Ineos’s appeal against non-determination of plans for shale gas exploration at Common Road, Harthill, South Yorkshire. Details and reaction
29 May 2018: IGas/Albury – GRANTED
Surrey County Council planning officers granted planning permission under delegated powers for the production and export of gas from the oil site. Details (see end of post)
23 May 2018: Europa/Bury Hill Wood (Holmwood/Leith Hill) – GRANTED
For the second time, Surrey County Council approved plans for fencing and buildings at the Bury Hill Wood site near Leith Hill. Live news updates
14 May 2018: Egdon/North Kelsey – GRANTED
Lincolnshire County Councillors unanimously approved Egdon’s application to drill and test an oil well at North Kelsey. Live news updates
Egdon’s Biscathorpe site location. Source: Lincolnshire County Council
14 May 2018: Egdon/Biscathorpe – GRANTED
Lincolnshire County Councillors unanimously approved Egdon’s application to drill and test an oil well at Biscathorpe. Live news updates
24 April 2018: Angus Energy/Lidsey – GRANTED
West Sussex County Council approved Angus Energy’s application to continue oil production at the Lidsey site near Bognor Regis for 10 more years. Details
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 news 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
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
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
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 appeal – DISMISSED
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
2017
25 October 2017: Cuadrilla/Becconsall REFUSED
Lancashire County Council’s planning committee refuses permission for an extension of time at the Becconsall site near the Ribble Estuary. Details
18 October 2017: HHDL/Horse Hill APPROVED
Surrey County Council approves planning permission for two more wells and more testing. Live updates from the meeting and reaction
Leith Hill site vehicle on Coldharbour Lane. Photo: Dan Harvey
18 October 2017: Europa/Bury Hill Wood (also known as Leith Hill or Holmwod) DEFERRED
Surrey County Council’s planning committee defers decision on Europa’s traffic plans for Bury Hill Wood. Details
18 October 2017: Europa/Bury Hill Wood (also known as Leith Hill or Holmwod) APPROVED
Surrey County Council’s planning committee approves Europa’s fencing plans for Bury Hill Wood. Details
11 October 2017: UK Oil & Gas/Broadford Bridge APPROVED
West Sussex County Council approves, under officer delegated powers, permission to retain security fencing, gates and cabins until 30 September 2018. Link to decision document
13 September 2017: Angus/Brockham APPROVED
Surrey County Council approves retrospective application for fencing, equipment and buildings at Brockham site. Details
12 September 2017: UK Oil & Gas/Broadford Bridge APPROVED
West Sussex County Council unanimously approves extension of one year to planning permission to allow flow testing. Details
2 August 2017: Europa/Bury Hill Wood (also known as Leith Hill or Holmwod) DEFERRED
Surrey County Council’s planning committee defers decision on Europa’s traffic plans for Bury Hill Wood
3 July 2017: Egdon/Wressle REFUSED
Wressle site plan. Source: Planning application to North Lincolnshire Council
North Lincolnshire Council’s planning committee refuses permission for oil production plans at Wressle. Details
2 May 2017: UKOG/Markwells Wood WITHDRAWN
UKOG withdraws planning application for drilling and oil production at Markwells Wood. Details
21 March 2017: IGas/Tinker Lane APPROVED
Nottinghamshire County Council’s planning committee votes by a margin of one to approve IGas plans for a single vertical well at Tinker Lane, near Blyth. Details
16 March 2017: Europa/Bury Hill Wood (also known as Leith Hill or Holmwod) APPROVED
Surrey County Council approves plans for groundwater monitoring boreholes, fencing and portacabin under permitted development rights. Details
11 January 2017: Egdon/Wressle REFUSED
North Lincolnshire Council’s planning committee refuses permission by 7 to 3 with one abstention for 15 years of oil production at the site. Details
4 January 2017: UK Oil & Gas/Broadford Bridge APPROVED
West Sussex county Council approves changes to planning permission allowing for a drilling “zone of variation” within which the proposed lateral borehole can be drilled. Details
How do I keep a check on local applications for fracking, where specifically should I look? I am based in Weston Super Mare, licences have been granted to frack our area and would like to get advance warning of any applications.
Thanks
Michael
Contacts
Contact: Minerals and Waste Policy Team
Address: Somerset County Council, County Hall, Taunton, Somerset TA1 4DY
Email mineralsandwaste@somerset.gov.uk
Contact no 0300 123 2224
Many thanks Ruth!