Yorkshire Council recommended to approve fracking plans

Planning officials in North Yorkshire have suggested the county council should give the go ahead to fracking. Third Energy is seeking planning permission to hydraulically test a site in Kirby […]

Planning officials in North Yorkshire have suggested the county council should give the go ahead to fracking.

Third Energy is seeking planning permission to hydraulically test a site in Kirby Misperton and ultimately produce gas, which has led to protests from environmental campaigners and locals concerned about the controversial technique.

However the Planning and Regulatory Functions Committee has recommended that Third Energy’s plans to frack for shale gas should be approved by councillors.

The announcement follows four rounds of public consultation and county councillors are to vote on the recommendation next week.

The report stated: “Planning permission be granted for the purpose to hydraulically stimulate and test the various geological formations previously identified during the 2013 KM8 drilling operation, followed by the production of gas from one or more of these formations into the existing production facilities, followed by wellsite restoration.”

Third Energy said it is “pleased” about the recommendation.

Chief Executive Rasik Valand added: “Within our application and throughout North Yorkshire County Council’s thorough assessment of it, including various stages of consultation and through all the additional information provided, we have addressed the wide range of questions, concerns and comments raised by NYCC [North Yorkshire County Council], statutory consultees and others.

“We believe that this thorough report will enable North Yorkshire County Council to reach a positive determination on our application.”

A formal committee site visit is scheduled to take place next week ahead of the decision.

Third Energy has been granted environmental permits to carry out hydraulic fracturing at the site by the Environment Agency.

Don’t forget to register for the free webinar, including a Q&A session, all about fracking next week, with speaker Chris Faulkner, CEO of Breitling Energy, also dubbed the ‘Frackmaster’.

Latest Podcast