Coastal Oil and Gas Approved for Shale Drilling in Wales

Coastal Oil and Gas has been given the go-ahead to drill for shale gas in southern Wales having been previously denied permission to undertake the activity.

The company received the news on Friday that a decision to deny it permission to drill for shale in the Vale of Glamorgan had been overturned. Coastal Oil and Gas will now be allowed to undertake exploratory drilling on the Llandow industrial estate in the south of Wales.

Planning Inspector Emyr Jones acknowledged that there were local concerns about the shale gas activity but said the permission extended only to exploratory drilling at this stage.

"A significant number of objectors raise concerns as to possible future proposals for gas extraction and the process known as hydraulic fracturing in particular," Mr. Jones said. "Whilst I understand these concerns, the proposal before me does not include extraction, whether by hydraulic fracturing or otherwise.

"Any extraction proposals would require a further application and the Vale of Glamorgan Unitary Development Plan makes it clear that the grant of planning permission for mineral exploration will not indicate a presumption in favour of future exploitation of any minerals found."

However opponents to the activity say that the decision to overturn the original ban goes against local opinion, with Head of Planning at Vale of Glamorgan Council Rob Thomas called the decision "disappointing"

"It is hugely disappointing that the appeal has been allowed, especially after the Council and concerned residents made their views clear at the appeal inquiry held earlier this year," he said on Friday.

Friends of the Earth Cymru director Gareth Clubb said the decision could have a huge impact on Welsh residents in terms of shale gas activity.

"This decision has opened the floodgates for fracking test drilling to occur right across Wales," the BBC reports him as saying.  "More than half of the Welsh population lives in areas that have the potential to be fracking sites, so while this might be good news for a few rich corporations it's very bad news for the people of Wales."

Photo copyright of Mick Lobb.