In June 2018, an application was submitted by INEOS Upstream Ltd to Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council for planning permission for a new well site for shale gas exploration. The Council rejected the application as it had concerns about noise, harm to the green belt and highway issues.
This decision went to appeal and a local inquiry was held, beginning on 11 June 2019. However, the Secretary of State used their rights under the Town an Country Planning Act 1990 to 'call-in' the appeal on 27 June 2019 - effectively meaning that the Secretary of State would make the final decision on the appeal rather than the inspector.
The inspector had recommended that the appeal was allowed and planning permission be granted subject to planning conditions. Partly because a sound barrier had been proposed that would reduce sound levels to an acceptable level. The issue was, the proposed sound barrier would require further planning permission as it was located on a green belt, and the inspector decided that it could impact openness.
However, the Secretary of State disagreed that planning permission should be granted. Although Government policy has changed since the submission of the original application to a more cautious approach to fracking, that did not have an overall impact on the final decision. They concluded:
The Secretary of State therefore refused planning permission.
