Shale Gas Exploration Should be Subject to Full Planning Process Minister told by Graham Stuart MP
Thu 24th January 2019
On Tuesday 22 January Graham Stuart, Member of Parliament for Beverley and Holderness led East Riding of Yorkshire Council planning bosses to a meeting at Westminster with Claire Perry MP, the Minister of State for Energy, with responsibility for shale gas.
Graham arranged for ERYC Planning Director, Alan Menzies and Portfolio Holder for Strategic Asset Management, Housing And Environment, Councillor Symon Fraser, to meet with the Minister to discuss the recently closed consultation on permitted development rights for shale gas exploration.
Graham urged the government minister to ensure that even exploratory investigations for shale gas were subject to full planning permission and not granted so called permitted development rights. He said: “If fracking was ever proposed in this area local people would want total openness and the ability to examine proposals every step of the way. I want even the exploratory bit (where no fracking or production occurs) to go through full planning. Anything less will make people think that their voices are being side-lined and reduce confidence in the effectiveness of the system.”
Following the meeting Graham commented “The shale gas industry needs to be as open and transparent as possible if it is going to win public support. Going through a robust ERYC planning process is a vital part of proper scrutiny. I’m pleased we had the chance to speak to the minister directly and hope the points we made are reflected in the results of the consultation.”
ERYC’s Director of Planning and Economic Regeneration, Alan Menzies said “The principle of maintaining a robust transparent land use planning process is vitally important for all planning matters including those where there are sensitivities.”
Councillor Symon Fraser, Portfolio Holder for Strategic Asset Management, Housing and Environment said “The fracking industry needs to understand that the rules for everyone else should apply to them too; that is the point I made robustly to the Minister.”
