It would appear that as of 5th September LCC are still accepting comments regarding the Grange Road Singleton extension application
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Environment Directorate
Lancashire County Council
Transport and Environment
Development Management Group
County Hall,
PO Box 100
Preston,
PR1 0LDDear Sir/Madam
PLANNING APPLICATION NO – 05/12/0003 PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT – VARIATION OF CONDITION 2 OF PERMISSION 05/10/0091 TO EXTEND THE PERIOD OF TIME FOR THE COMPLETION AND TESTING (FRACKING) IN THE DRILLED EXPLORATORY BOREHOLE AND RESTORATION OF THE SITE AT LAND SOUTH OF GRANGE ROAD, SINGLETON
I am writing to object to the above application by Cuadrilla Resources Ltd to extend planning permission for test fracking at Grange Road, Singleton, Lancashire.
With a new application for this site in the immediate offing, which will require an Environmental Impact Assessment, and as there have been material changes in government policy and guidance since the original planning was granted, it would clearly be inappropriate to grant an extension in this instance.
It can be seem clearly that Cuadrilla now admit that the “stimulation” referred to in the original application is now “fracking”. In the event that permission is granted I would ask what steps will be taken to ensure that Cuadrllla pay the £100,000 community benefit and also ask to whom it will be paid. If it is proposed that any part of this benefit is to be paid to LCC then you must surely have a conflict of interest in considering this application.
There is growing evidence that fracking poses serious risks to human health, the local environment and climate change, and the precautionary principle should be applied.
A recent report for the European Commission identified water contamination, water resource depletion, air pollution, biodiversity impacts and noise as high-risk concerns. There is also the concern that shale gas development could negatively impact human health. The risk of seismic activity – as evidenced by earth tremors caused by fracking at the Preese Hall site – is a serious concern for local communities, and poses furthers risks to well integrity and groundwater contamination.
The site is very close to the Wyre Estuary SSSI, and close to the Ribble Estuary SSSI RAMSAR site, an internationally important habitat for wildlife including wintering wildfowl. There are also economic risks to the important farming and tourism sectors in Lancashire, which have not been considered.
I further believe that the extraction and use of shale gas will make it much harder to meet our legally-binding climate change targets and fulfill commitments in the Lancashire Climate Change Strategy. Lancashire County Council says it has an important role to play in tackling climate change. As such it should be promoting expansion of renewable energy rather than the extraction of more fossil fuels. Investing in renewable energy and energy efficiency will secure a clean and green energy supply for the future, tackle fuel poverty and create thousands of new jobs for the county.
I also note the Supporting Statement to the application is out of date and contains no detail of the proposed operations including hydraulic fracturing, merely referring to a ‘testing phase’. Please keep me informed of the progress of this application and opportunities to comment further.
Yours sincerely
Signed: Address: Date:
