Planning approval has been granted by North Yorkshire County Council's planning committee for a fracking site in Ryedale, despite widespread opposition. The Committee was told that 4,420 representations were made regarding the application, of which only 36 were in support.
The planning approval allows Third Energy to hydraulically stimulate and test geological formations with the aim to produce shale gas from the formations. Third Energy received the relevant environmental permits to do this in April, meaning planning approval was all that stood in its way.
A ban on fracking in England was lifted in 2012, and since then, the practice of hydraulically fracturing rock to extract shale gas has been a controversial one, in part due to the lack of knowledge about environmental impact and concerns as to how it will affect water supplies. This newly approved fracking operation is the first to be approved in England since the ban was lifted.
The planning committee sat for 2 days and listened to over 100 people before voting in favour of it (seven voted in favour, four voted against). The Council said it is "required to work within the national policy framework that indigenous oil and gas remain key to energy security while facilitating the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. This must be a material consideration as is the need for economic growth and development that will provide jobs and sustainable communities."
The planning committee was apparently happy that the mitigation of the effects of the development, such as safeguarding the natural environment, protected species and habitats, the amenity of local residents and the protection of water quality, can be achieved through planning conditions.
Richard Flinton, chief executive of North Yorkshire County Council, said, "We are proud of our beautiful county, which attracts so many visitors and maintains a thriving tourism industry. We have no intention of jeopardising those qualities and our rural industries and livelihoods. For that reason the planning conditions must be fully discharged and monitored. In this case there has already been drilling for gas on this site over many years. The decision taken today does not have a bearing on future decisions. Each application of this nature will be decided upon based on its own merits."
Chief executive of Third Energy, Rasik Valand, said they now had a "huge responsibility" to deliver on its commitment to "undertake this operation safely and without impacting on the local environment."
required to work within the national policy framework that indigenous oil and gas remain key to energy security while facilitating the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions”.
“This must be a material consideration as is the need for economic growth and development that will provide jobs and sustainable communities.
