West Sussex seeks to exclude oil and gas drilling from protected landscapes
A new strategy in West Sussex seeks to prevent almost all oil and gas development in the South Downs National Park and the county’s two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Some fracking controls now in force – but not all
Rules on fracking, set out in the Infrastructure Act, came into force today. They are in section 50 of the act, which sets the depth at which fracking is prohibited and creates an official definition based on the volume of fluid used. The rules also identify requirements that […]
MEPs support ban on fracking
Euro-MPs voted last week to urge member states not to allow any new hydraulic fracturing operations.
Government to ban fracking in protected areas with a drilling licence condition
The government is proposing to ban fracking from the surface of England’s best natural and landscape areas. Details here
Guest post: Fracking – the regulatory gaps
Guest Post by Joanne Hawkins Regulation is a central issue in the shale gas debate. Yet, it has received very little in depth attention, with many reports and political statements assuming the presence of a ‘robust regulatory system.’ In this guest post, Joanne Hawkins discusses some of the […]
Energy minister asked officials ‘Is climate change real?’
The Energy Minister, Andrea Leadsom, has admitted to asking her officials “Is climate change real?” And she dismissed the idea that women and men have different attitudes to fracking.
100-200 wells needed to be sure UK fracking can work – Energy Minister
The Energy Minister, Andrea Leadsom, told a meeting at Westminster today that the UK would need to drill 100-200 wells before it knew whether its shale gas could be fracked.
Campaigners call on North Yorks MP to speak against fracking regulations
Anti-fracking campaigners in the Ryedale district of North Yorkshire are urging their MP to oppose regulations that fail to ban hydraulic fracturing in some protected areas, despite a government promise.
IGas coal bed methane plans should go ahead, say Trafford planners
Trafford council planners are recommending approval of IGas’s proposed coal bed methane site next to the Davyhulme water treatment works.
How much traffic does it take to frack a well? That depends on how you count it
Traffic has become one of the most contentious issues in planning decisions for onshore oil and gas. Recently, it was behind the refusals of permission for fracking at Roseacre Wood in Lancashire and a conventional well between the West Sussex villages of Kirdford and Wisborough Green. It was […]
DRILL OR DROP? 