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