Planners oppose oil test plans at Balcombe: “not in public interest” and “not appropriate to area”
Proposals to test the Balcombe oil well in West Sussex would compromise the protected landscape of the High Weald, council planners said today.
New poll findings: Government ignores public on fracking and should not relax tremor rules
Less than a quarter of people support relaxing the rules on fracking-induced earth tremors, according to results of a new survey published today.
Fast track fracking proposals undermine democracy and bypass scrutiny, MPs told
Government proposals designed to speed-up fracking decisions are unclear, inappropriate and unjustified, a group of planning experts have said.
Campaigners assemble model rig outside government department in protest at shale gas planning changes
Opponents of government plans to fast-track shale gas exploration assembled a 4m model drilling rig in Westminster this morning.
Most Tory councillors oppose government changes to shale gas planning rules – survey
A survey out today has found that 80% of Conservative councillors in areas where fracking companies have a licence to explore for shale gas believe that planning applications should be required before drilling.
Government policy “risks unrestricted drilling and fracking”, MPs told
Government proposals to take shale gas decisions out of the local planning system could result in a “one-size-fits all” approach with unrestricted drilling and fracking, a new parliamentary group has been told.
Weekend long read: The blueprint for fracking needs a rethink
Mark Robinson, Campaigns and Policy Assistant at Campaign to Protect Rural England, argues that radical changes are needed to national planning policy to prevent the threat of fracking to the countryside and the communities who live and enjoy it.
