Ms Spence said the authorities forming the plan – Derbyshire County Council and Derby City Council – were taking a “precautionary approach” with the UK economy “still requiring” oil, gas, coal and other minerals, despite carbon-neutral climate change aims. “When (Liz) Truss was Prime Minister there was a ministerial statement removing the moratorium banning fracking, and that was then brought back in with the current Prime Minister and that could change again.” She said that a planning inspector would likely reject the proposed minerals plan, outlining mineral requirements such as gas, coal, gravel and sand up to 2038, if it did not include a policy for fracking.
The Government have said there needs to be clear evidence that it (fracking) will not affect sites seismically and cause other environmental effects but it hasn’t told us not to have a policy. The National Planning Policy Framework requires us to have a policy. There is still a lot of uncertain science there.
“It is important that we have a policy instead of having one imposed on us. READ MORE Fresh hedge row erupts and forces crisis talks and new truce Ms Spence said: “If they want it within 500 metres then they would have to put quite a case together to say it won’t have any impact on them – like a stonking great hill. She said the council would not be in favour of the outline principle for fracking sites if there is a “sensitive receptor”, like a home or a school, within 500 metres. However, Michelle Spence, part of the team developing the Minerals Local Plan, said the concerns of residents opposing fracking – also known as hydraulic fracturing – had been taken into account. It was told that Derby and Derbyshire could not move to ban all fracking due to the potential for central Government to change its mind on the current moratorium which, as it stands, bans all fracking in the UK due to concerns over seismic activity and environmental impacts. A Derbyshire County Council meeting on Wednesday, March 1, was told that a Minerals Local Plan, a blueprint for future development, must include references allowing fracking in set circumstances.
The door has effectively been left open for fracking in Derbyshire due to the need to future-proof against a potential change in policy from central Government.
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