Bloomberg: U.K. Tries to Kick-Start Shale Gas With Planning Speedup

The U.K. said it will fast-track planning applications for shale gas in a bid to tap fuel resources that could supply the country for a half-century.

Communities Secretary Greg Clark may take over planning decisions from local councils that repeatedly fail to reach a conclusion within 16 weeks, his department and the Department of Energy and Climate Change said Thursday in a statement. He may also consider appeals on failed applications, it said.

“To ensure we get this industry up and running, we can’t have a planning system that sees applications dragged out for months or even years on end,” Energy Secretary Amber Rudd said in the e-mailed statement. “We now need, above all else, a system that delivers timely planning decisions and works effectively for local people and developers.”

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