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Politicians deal blow to Britain's emerging shale gas industry

Xinhua, June 29, 2015 Adjust font size:

Britain's emerging shale gas sector suffered a major setback Monday when plans for the country's first extraction site were rejected by local politicians.

Councillors in the County of Lancashire in northern England refused to give planning permission despite the council's own planning officials saying the approval should be granted.

The applicants, Cuadrilla Energy, have the legal right to appeal to the national government against the decision, opening the door for an independent public inquiry.

Environmentalists and shale gas operators eagerly awaited the outcome of today's decision, with some seeing it as an important test for the industry.

Shale gas extraction is seen by the government as a way of helping meet Britain's growing energy needs without too much reliance on imported gas.

One leading business commentator said later the decision would be widely seen as a major setback for the British government and its hopes for a British shale gas industry.

Nine of the county councillors voted against Cuadrilla's plans, with only three in favour.

The proposed shale gas site is close to the seaside resort of Blackpool where residents experienced a series of minor earth tremors at a time when test drilling for shale gas was being carried out.

The North West region of the campaign group Friends of the Earth (FoE) welcomed the decision. FoE Campaigner Furqan Naeem was quoted as saying: "People in Lancashire and across the UK who have been tirelessly campaigning against fracking will breathe a sigh of relief today - safe in the knowledge that this dirty industry that risks health, quality of life and the climate, has been stopped in its tracks once again."

Naeem went on to commend the county councillors for having voted against the plan in the face of massive pressure from Cuadrilla and Westminster and instead vote in favour of protecting citizens and the local environment.

"Both Cuadrilla and the government must respect Lancashire's decision and not try to force unpopular fracking on these communities," Naeem warned.

Robbie Owen, a planning expert at Manchester law firm Pinsent Masons said: "Today's decision to refuse planning permission will be viewed as a considerable setback for shale gas exploration in England. It sends a further unhelpful signal to international investors at a time when the UK's energy policy is in a state of flux." Endit