Second Blackpool shale gas site refused

The council’s Development Control Committee rejected Cuadrilla’s application to drill, hydraulically fracture and test the flow of gas from up to four exploration wells at Preston New Road, in the hamlet of Little Plumpton just outside the seaside resort.

The committee refusal of planning permission comes just days after it had rejected Cuadrilla’s application to develop its Roseacre Wood site in the countryside to the east of Blackpool.

This is one of the biggest planning decisions ever put before Lancashire County Council

Lancashire county councillor Marcus Johnstone

However, while last Thursday’s rejection of Roseacre Wood was expected as planning officers had recommended it be refused permission to proceed, today’s decision by the committee goes against the guidance of planning officers.

Despite, as with Roseacre Wood, concerns over traffic and site noise levels, planning officers were sufficiently satisfied with Cuadrilla’s proposals for limits on working hours and site traffic at Preston New Road that they recommended the project be approved for planning permission.

In explaining the committee’s decision to going against the planning officers’ recommendation for Preston New Road, county councillor Marcus Johnstone said: “This is one of the biggest planning decisions ever put before Lancashire County Council. The development control committee has listened very carefully to many hours of evidence both for and against the proposal, and considered the report of the council’s planning officers.

“The decision to refuse this application has been reached by a vote of the committee, which is composed of elected councillors, and each member of the committee has ultimately cast their vote based on the evidence they have heard and whether they think the proposal is acceptable in planning terms, and to the people they represent.”

In response to the decision, Cuadrilla released a statement saying the company was “surprised and disappointed” at the refusal, “particularly as their decision follows a positive recommendation by the Council’s Planning Officers”.

“We remain committed to the responsible exploration of the huge quantity of natural gas locked up in the shale rock deep underneath Lancashire,” continued the statement.

“We will now take time to consider our options regarding an appeal for Preston New Road, along with also considering appeals for the planning applications recently turned down, against Officer advice, for monitoring and site restoration at Grange Hill, and last week’s decision to refuse the Roseacre Wood application.”