Third Energy Cleared to Frack in Yorkshire

The English High Court has upheld North Yorkshire county council’s approval in May 2016 of an application to frack for shale gas near Kirby Misperton.

The court’s December 20 rejected a challenge raised by Friends of the Earth and other anti-fracking campaigners. The council said it was “grateful” that the court had found it complied the statutory process correctly.

The ruling means that Barclays Bank-owned Third Energy may now proceed with its plans to frack in Kirby Misperton in Ryedale.

Third Energy said it was "pleased that the court has found that North Yorkshire County Council acted properly in granting planning permission for test fracks at the existing KM8 well in Ryedale." The council set 40 conditions to the grant of planning permission "which the company is well on its way to satisfying." It said the approvals process had lasted almost two years for "a proposed operation that would take less than three months to complete."

Developers also have been cleared to explore for shale gas in North Nottinghamshire (without use of fracking) and to drill and frack for shale gas near Blackpool in Lancashire. All three areas are in England. However actual or de-facto bans on fracking exist in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

North Yorkshire encouraged people and interested parties to provide input on its draft minerals management plan that will be the key reference for similar planning decisions over the next 15 years including fracking; the deadline for making such comments is December 21.

Mark Smedley