Engineering news
Proposals for fracking for shale gas at a site in Lancashire should be approved, planning officers have recommended.
Lancashire County Council has published reports with recommendations on planning applications from shale company Cuadrilla to develop two new sites between Preston and Blackpool to explore for shale gas by drilling, fracking and testing the flow of gas.
The report recommended that the application for a site at Preston New Road near Little Plumpton be passed, subject to a lengthy number of conditions being met, including controlling time limits, hours of working, control of noise and highway matters.
However, planning officials recommended an application for a similar site at Roseacre Wood should be turned down because of an increase in traffic.
Cuadrilla submitted revised plans after planning officers recommended refusal for both sites in January for different reasons.
Ken Cronin, chief executive of UKOOG, said: “It is good news that the Lancashire County Council planning officer is recommending that the planning application at Preston New Road is approved, reflecting the hard work Cuadrilla has done to address concerns that have been raised. We will look forward to the council's decision on that application, and the one at Roseacre Wood, in due course."
Dr Jenifer Baxter, head of energy and environment at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, said: “The sites, if approved, will be closely monitored by both the Environment Agency and the Health and Safety Executive to ensure environmental impact assessments are carried out and appropriate well depth and integrity is maintained.
“The fact that thousands of objections have been lodged about the plans shows that there is a lot more work that needs to be done by engineering institutions, oil and gas companies and experts in the subject to convince the public that hydraulic fracturing (fracking) of rock for shale gas extraction is safe. If local authorities and communities are to make informed decisions on whether to allow fracking to take place in their locality they need to understand all the issues and have an opportunity to discuss them sensibly.”
The announcement has drawn criticism from environmental groups. Furqan Naeem, from Friends of the Earth, said: "We are disappointed that planning officers have not recognised the unacceptable impact that Cuadrilla's plans to frack at Preston New Road would have on local people, climate change and the environment.
"The council must now listen to the tens of thousands of people who have objected to fracking at both sites, and the strong evidence put before them, and reject both of Cuadrilla's proposals to frack."
The council's development control committee is due to make decisions on the planning applications next week.