Birmingham Post: It's the Fracking Noise They're Worried About

Once again, the Lancashire County Council planners have been in the news. In a surprise decision towards the end of February, the Council’s Development Control Committee refused a planning application for one of Cuadrilla’s sites. Notably, this application wasn’t for fracking – this was an existing well, and Cuadrilla wanted to use the site for seismic testing and pressure monitoring, after which the well would be filled in with cement.

Cuadrilla was less than impressed: “We are perplexed and disappointed by the decision of Lancashire County Council’s Development Control Committee to refuse our planning application for Grange Hill. The refusal was contrary to the advice of Lancashire County Council planning officers, the HSE and the EA all of whom recommended it for approval. It is not clear what the technical basis of the Council’s decision was.

As a consequence, the Grange Hill well appears to be in planning limbo since permission to plug the well and restore the site has been refused. We are awaiting clarification from the Council before deciding on next steps.”

An odd decision, and the latest round in an ongoing tussle between the would-be shale gas developer and the local planners, which earlier in the month saw a key planning decision on Cuadrilla’s applications for shale gas exploration at two other sites between Preston and Blackpool deferred until April. That deferral, which was at Cuadrilla’s request, was to allow a further period of consultation on revised proposals from the developer to address noise and traffic concerns.

Cue outraged fracking protestors.

Read the full article HERE.