Weekend long read: Is shale gas nationally important and should decisions be taken out of local control?
The shale gas industry and its opponents had a rare moment of agreement in a committee room in Westminster this week.
Europa’s Leith Hill oil drilling plans contain “significant errors, inconsistencies and omissions” – review
An independent review has made “major criticisms” of Europa’s application for an environmental permit for oil drilling plans near Leith Hill in Surrey.
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.
Government seeks to strengthen planning case for onshore oil and gas
Local councils in England are to be required to develop policies that “facilitate” onshore oil and gas developments, under revised government guidelines.
MPs to investigate whether to take decisions on fracking plans out of local control
A committee of MPs is to examine whether planning applications for fracking in England should be decided by a government minister, rather than local councils.
Updated: Council “extremely disappointed over Brockham well drilled without permission”
Surrey County Council is meeting the oil and gas company, Angus Energy, this week to discuss a side-track well at Brockham, amid allegations that it was drilled without planning permission.
Recent research round-up: March-Sept 2016
This round-up looks at 44 recent studies about fracking published since late March 2016. Please let us know if we’ve missed a report you think should be included. Click here to get in touch.
National need versus local impacts
The Cuadrilla public inquiry which closed this week defined the arguments that are likely to be rehearsed across the country when new fracking applications are decided.
Top 10 points on noise at Preston New Road – Cuadrilla fracking inquiry Day 9
Dr Andrew McKenzie, the noise witness for Lancashire County Council said the Preston New Road development would have unacceptable noise impacts on local residents and could be refused because it did not comply with the Lancashire Minerals Plan and the Fylde Local Plan. These are the key points […]
Residents release legal opinion contradicting council advice on Lancashire fracking plan
A residents’ group opposed to Cuadrilla’s plans to frack at a site in the Fylde area of Lancashire released the opinion of a specialist barrister this afternoon. It contradicts legal advice given to Lancashire County Councillors last week that in the event of an appeal against refusal there would […]
DRILL OR DROP? 