Cuadrilla responds to recommendations on shale gas exploration applications

Lancashire County Council has published its recommendations on the applications by Cuadrilla Resources to explore for shale gas at Preston New Road and Roseacre Wood, by drilling, hydraulically fracking and testing the flow of gas.

The Lancashire County Council’s Planning Officers have recommended that the Council’s Development Control Committee refuse planning consent for both our applications. Officers have recommended refusal at Preston New Road only on grounds of night-time noise and at Roseacre Wood on noise and traffic concerns.

Cuadrilla Resources published an answer to the recommendations with the company’s spokesperson voicing their disappointment regarding the Council’s decision and noted that the Planning Officer’s report has accepted the principle of Cuadrilla’s proposals and is satisfied with all other aspects of the planning applications and in particular their conclusion that properly regulated hydraulic fracturing is ‘very low risk’. He added that these grounds can be satisfactorily resolved.

“After a lengthy period of consultation and review of around seven months the Planning team at Lancashire County Council has raised objections about background noise for both sites. We believe, supported by independent experts Arup, that we have come forward with measures that would mitigate noise of drilling and fracturing and the proposed noise levels are within the limits set out in government guidance,” the spokesperson said.

The company stressed that all of the limited issues that have been raised by the Lancashire County Council’s Planning Officers can be resolved.

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LNG World News Staff; Image: Cuadrilla Resources