Engineering news
Proposals for two fracking sites in Lancashire should be refused, planning officers have recommended.
Lancashire County Council has published reports with recommendations on planning applications from shale company Cuadrilla to develop two new sites to explore for shale gas by drilling, fracking and testing the flow of gas.
The council's development control committee is due to make decisions next week on the planning applications for the two sites, at Preston New Road, near Little Plumpton, and Roseacre Wood, near Roseacre, both between Blackpool and Preston.
The report recommended that the application for the site at Preston New Road should be turned down because of concerns over noise impacts which would "unnecessarily and unacceptably" affect neighbouring properties with noise pollution.
At the Roseacre Wood site, the report said there would be an increase in traffic, particularly heavy goods vehicles, which would result in "an unacceptable impact" on rural roads and reduce road safety.
If the council's development control committee take the advice of their planning officers and turn down the applications, it will be seen as a major blow to efforts to get the UK's shale gas and oil industry off the ground.
The government is pushing for the development of a shale gas industry in the UK, claiming it would create jobs and growth, reduce energy prices and cut the country's reliance on gas imports.
Ken Cronin from UKOOG, the representative body for the UK onshore oil and gas industry, said: “The planning officers’ report concluded ‘...the principle of exploration and appraisal for shale gas would be acceptable and that in the proposed location impacts on air quality; archaeology and cultural heritage; greenhouse gas emissions; community and socio economics; ecology; hydrogeology and ground gas; induced seismicity and subsidence; land use; landscape and visual amenity; lighting; traffic; resources and waste; water resources or public health (except for noise) would be low or could be mitigated and controlled by condition to make them acceptable.’
“It is disappointing that officials at Lancashire County Council have come to this recommendation. The grounds for refusal are local planning matters specific to these sites rather than any issues that would have an obvious impact on other shale gas applications. I am pleased that the report concluded that the concerns raised by environmental groups have been addressed.”
Opponents have raised fears that the process causes earthquakes, can pollute water supplies, and could lead to inappropriate development in the countryside and damage house prices.
Environmental groups have welcomed the recommendations. Friends Of The Earth's North West campaigner Helen Rimmer said: "Councillors must now act on this and the tens of thousands of objections they have received and reject Cuadrilla's fracking applications next week.
"Only by doing so will they ensure that fracking is not allowed to cause further climate change while also putting communities and the local environment at risk."
However, business leaders and academics are disappointed by the announcement. Lee Petts, spokesman for the North West Energy Task Force, a coalition of more than 500 businesses and academics, said: "Natural gas from North West shale could be a massive opportunity for growth, investment, jobs and revenues in our region.
"Today's announcements are obviously disappointing, but we await the decision of the development control committee next week, and call on councillors to grasp this opportunity to create the jobs and investment that Lancashire badly needs."
Local authorities in West Sussex have also turned down applications from shale companies to explore for oil and gas in their areas.