P-04-648 Unconventional Oil and Gas Planning Applications
P-04-648 Unconventional Oil and Gas Planning Applications
We
the undersigned call upon the Minister for Natural Resources to amend the THE
TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING (NOTIFICATION) (UNCONVENTIONAL OIL AND GAS) (WALES) DIRECTION
2015 to call in all Planning Applications for Unconventional Oil and Gas
development including exploratory drilling for Shale Gas, Coal Bed Methane and
Underground Coal Gasification, to the Minister.
Additional Information
At
present the Direction only relates to applications involving certain
unconventional extraction techniques where the Local Planning Authority is
inclined to approve the application.
The
current Direction does not apply to Underground Coal Gasification, the impacts
of which would be equally damaging to the environment and communities. Nor does
it apply to exploratory drilling or test drilling. There are growing concerns
about the impact of exploratory drilling, particularly around noise, traffic,
disturbance of water courses, the potential for seismic disturbance,
industrialisation of the countryside and the impact on house prices.
If
there is an effective moratorium on extraction, then what is the purpose of
exploration? Allowing exploration to proceed when, at present, extraction will
be prohibited is perverse and illogical.
Petition raised by: Councillor Arfon Jones
Date petition first
considered by Committee:
22 September 2015
Number of signatures: 1,254 Online signatures
and 293 paper signatures
Status
This petition was
considered completed by the Petitions Committee at its meeting on 05/03/2019.
The
Committee considered correspondence from the Minister for Environment, Energy
and Rural Affairs and agreed to close the petition in light of the confirmation
that Welsh Government policy has been amended to the effect that Ministers will
be notified about, and will consider calling in, all future planning
applications for unconventional oil and gas development, where local planning
authorities are not minded to reject them.
Full
details of the consideration of this petitions by the committee and related documents
can be seen on the Meetings tab above.
It
was first considered by the Petitions Committee on 22/09/2015.
Business type: Petition
Reason considered: Senedd Business;
Status: For consideration
First published: 15/09/2015