Councils click into the future of planning
In town halls across the country, planning officers are racing to update their Local Plans — but this time, the process looks very different.
Council calls for ‘clarity’ on fracking decisions
14/10/2022 Lancashire County Council has called on the Government to give local authorities the right to decide on whether fracking is allowed in their area. |
Yorkshire council votes to oppose fracking
10/10/2022 East Riding of Yorkshire Council voted in support of a Liberal Democrat motion to oppose fracking in its area. |
Fracking moratorium lifted despite local concerns
22/09/2022 The Government today lifted the moratorium on the controversial practice of fracking despite objections from local authorities. |
Government bans new fracking in England
04/11/2019 The Government has called a halt to fracking in England over fears it may cause earthquakes. |
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Cuadrilla asks for ‘additional time’ to frack in Lancashire
06/08/2019 The fracking company Cuadrilla has written to Lancashire County Council requesting ‘additional time’ for drilling at the contested Preston New Road site. |
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Cuadrilla plans second fracking well in Lancashire
12/07/2019 Fracking company Cuadrilla has announced it plans to drill a second well in Lancashire before its planning permission runs out in November. |
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Whitehall launches ‘fracking’ consultation
01/11/2018 The Government has launched a consultation on community involvement in shale gas proposals in an effort to ‘open a meaningful dialogue’. |
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Council pension funds invest £9bn in fracking industry
03/09/2018 More than £9bn is being invested in the fracking indistry by council pension funds, new figures have revealed today. |
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Permission granted for ‘fracking’ site despite council’s opposition
17/08/2018 A planning application to explore underground shale gas reserves in Derbyshire has been given a green light despite objections from the county council. |
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Tory councillors agree councils should have power over fracking plans
03/08/2018 The majority of Tory councillors (80%) believe fracking companies should be required to submit a planning application before drilling, according to the results of a new poll. |
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Whitehall to consult on allowing ‘fracking’ without planning permission
20/07/2018 The Government yesterday launched a consultation on plans to allow drilling for shale gas to go ahead without planning permission. |
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Fracking decisions should be made at a local level, MPs warn
05/07/2018 Government plans to move decisions on fracking applications away from local planning authorities would be 'hugely harmful' to local democracy, MPs warn. |
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Whitehall launches controversial new ‘fracking’ package
18/05/2018 The Government has launched a raft of new measures, including a £1.6m fund, to help local authorities deal with shale gas drilling applications. |
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Inquiry into planning guidance for fracking launched
31/01/2018 MPs have launched an inquiry into the planning guidance for fracking provided to local authorities. |
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Communities to share £1bn shale gas funding
13/11/2017 A £1b fund has been announced for communities near fracking sites to pay for extra facilities including parks, sports centres and libraries. |
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Campaigners win right to appeal fracking decision
08/06/2017 Campaigners have been granted permission to appeal against the decision to allow fracking in Lancashire. |
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Minister rejects police pleas for help tackling anti-fracking protests
26/04/2017 The Government has rejected a plea from the police for extra funds to help pay for policing anti-fracking protests in Lancashire. |
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High Court backs council over fracking decision
20/12/2016 Fracking will be allowed to take place in North Yorkshire, after the High Court ruled the county council had acted lawfully when approving the planning application by Third Energy. |
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Local communities should have ‘final say’ on fracking, councils warn
06/10/2016 The decision on whether or not to allow fracking to go ahead should be in the hands of the local communities ‘most affected’, council chiefs say. |
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Government overturns county's rejection of fracking scheme
06/10/2016 The Government has overturned Lancashire County Council’s decision to refuse permission for a fracking site. |
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May to cut councils out of fracking funds
08/08/2016 Theresa May has announced plans to divert money destined for local authorities from fracking and infrastructure, giving the cash directly to households instead. |
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Correlation between fracking and asthma attacks, study finds
19/07/2016 Asthma sufferers who live near natural gas wells operated by the fracking industry are more at risk of attacks than those who live farther away, new research reveals. |
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Fracking gets green light in North Yorkshire
24/05/2016 North Yorkshire CC has given the green light to a controversial fracking application, despite thousands of objections from residents. |
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Fracking causes noise pollution and road damage, scientists say
24/02/2016 Fracking could lead to an increase in heavy-duty vehicles on the road, which could, in turn, give rise to substantial increases in noise levels, road damage, and air pollution in local areas, new research has uncovered. |
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Fracking, climate change and public attitudes
07/10/2015 Given the government’s move to speed up the planning process for fracking applications, Matthew Sheppard examines the impact on local authorities and how they will need to deal with public perceptions. |
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Councils could lose say on fracking if decisions are too slow
13/08/2015 Fracking decisions could be taken out of council hands if planning applications aren’t dealt with fast enough, ministers have revealed. |
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Fracking U-turn sparks fears of drilling in wildlife sites
17/07/2015 A Government U-turn on pledges to protect Britain’s important wildlife locations from fracking could ‘ruin’ hundreds of conservation sites, campaigners have warned. |
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Lancashire rejects fracking application
29/06/2015 Lancashire County Council has rejected a planning application to frack at Preston New Road, in an unexpected move following months of deliberation. |
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Legal warning over fracking issued to Lancashire councillors
26/06/2015 Lancashire councillors have been warned the town hall risks being fined if it blocks local fracking as the move could be considered ‘unreasonable’. |
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Landmark Lancashire fracking decision postponed
25/06/2015 Councillors in Lancashire have postponed a decision on giving the go ahead to a controversial plan for fracking. |
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Protest grows as Lancashire ponders key fracking decision
23/06/2015 Protesters have been gathering in Preston ahead of a decision by Lancashire County Council on controversial plans for fracking. |
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Fracking should be approved in Lancashire, says planning officer
16/06/2015 Fracking should go ahead at a site in Lancashire, planning officers have recommended - in a decision that could ‘set a precedent’ for the UK. |
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Council stalls again on key fracking decision
24/04/2015 A landmark council decision on whether to allow fracking in Lancashire has been delayed until after the General Election. |
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MPs call for halt on UK fracking
26/01/2015 An influential committee of MPs has called for a moratorium on fracking because it could hamper climate change efforts and pose significant health risks. |
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Labour bids to raise local power over fracking
08/12/2014 An overhaul of fracking rules put forward by Labour could see communities handed stronger powers to assess the impact of extraction on local areas. |
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New fracking rights backed by Government
08/10/2014 Kristian Scholfield explores the government's response to the latest consultation on fracking. |
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Parish councils should receive fracking payments says NALC
14/08/2014 Parish and town councils should receive at least £20,000 from fracking companies, according to the National Association of Local Councils (NALC). |
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Government issues guidance as bidding for fracking opens
28/07/2014 The Government today published guidance on the search for new energy sources as it opened bidding on licences to explore for onshore oil and gas. |
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Shale gas exploration bid turned down by West Sussex
23/07/2014 A fracking firm’s bid to explore for gas and oil in south eastern England has been blocked by a local council. |
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LGA: Councils can't be 'overridden' by national fracking policy
05/06/2014 Councils must be given final say on local fracking operations and cannot be 'short-changed' by financial benefit schemes, local authority chiefs have said. |
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Telling explorers to pay up or frack off
24/01/2014 With the Government accused of 'bribing' councils to allow fracking in their communities, what issues should local authorities be aware first before agreeing to anything? |
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Government fracking announcement was 'overdue'
17/01/2014 The chair of the energy and climate change committee has criticised the Government for the time taken to announce that communities will benefit from fracking. |
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Cameron pledges business rate boost for fracking
13/01/2014 Councils who approve local sites for fracking will be allowed to keep all the business rates from the venture, the Prime Minister has announced. |
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Council leaders warn fracking should not ‘short-change’ residents
18/12/2013 Local communities should receive 10% of the money made from fracking schemes, according to council leaders. |
