Environmentalists condemn Government moves to make fracking easier

ENVIRONMENTALISTS HAVE condemned measures announced by Ministers aimed at making it easier for firms to explore shale gas deposits and carry out fracking.

Business Secretary Greg Clark set out a series of steps to streamline the “disappointingly slow” planning process and create “the world’s most environmentally robust onshore shale gas sector”. But environmentalists reacted with fury to the plans, which include a consultation on allowing firms in England to use planning rules similar to those for home extensions to carry out exploratory drilling for gas deposits. Their concerns were dismissed by petrochemicals giant Ineos, which said delays in exploiting UK gas were leading the country to become dependent on imports from Russia and the Middle East.

In a statement to Parliament, Mr Clark said there were potentially “substantial benefits from the safe and sustainable exploration and development” of onshore shale gas. He said: “A potential new shale gas exploration and production sector in the shale basins of England could provide a new economic driver. We also see an opportunity to work with industry on innovation to create a ‘UK model’ – the world’s most environmentally robust onshore shale gas sector – and to explore export opportunities from this model, a core theme of our modern industrial strategy.”

Under the plans, there would be a consultation this summer on whether non-hydraulic fracturing shale gas exploration development should be treated as “permitted development”, which would not require planning permission.

Other elements include the creation of a Shale Environmental Regulator, a new watchdog bringing together the work done by the Environment Agency, Health and Safety Executive and the Oil and Gas Authority. Greenpeace UK’s head of politics Rebecca Newsom accused Ministers of “trampling over democracy to prop up this collapsing industry”.