Issue - meetings

Report of the Chief Planning Officer

The Cabinet considered the report of the Chief Planning Officer indicating that Sefton Borough Council had been consulted by Lancashire County Council (LCC as the decision-making body) on a planning application for the construction of a temporary wellsite and associated access track, drill, hydraulically stimulate and test two petroleum exploration boreholes including drilling rig (maximum height 60m) and associated plan and equipment, followed by wellsite and restoration.

There was a restricted timeframe to comment on the planning application and approval was sought to respond to LCC, in the form of an objection.

Members of the Cabinet asked the following questions and the following responses were given by the Head of Economic Growth and Housing:

The Council has a resolution opposing fracking. What weight does this carry in the planning process?

·       The Council’s opposition to fracking in general and the planning process are two separate considerations.

Whilst the Council may object to a particular type of development, it carries little weight in the planning process as the Council is still legally obliged, as the local planning authority, to assess each planning proposal on its individual merits.

This is what we have done as part of this consultation, and we believe that the proposal does not form a reliable basis to assess the impacts on residents of this Borough. To avoid any argument that the Council is predetermined on such proposals, the Planning Portfolio Holder (who is also Chair of Planning Committee), has left the room during this item and taken no part in the discussion or decision. This will allow him to chair any Planning Committee meeting where a fracking proposal is on the agenda.

·       Is it normally a requirement for any relevant traffic impacts beyond the area of the lead planning authority to be taken into consideration in determining the acceptability f any proposal, and if so, do you feel this has satisfactorily occurred here?

All traffic impacts should be properly assessed, and they include those within the area controlled by the relevant planning authority and the area of neighbouring authorities.

With this proposal, traffic will use roads and junctions within Sefton, and we believe that the Transport Statement does not adequately address this because it does not take into account forecast traffic flows and committed development in Sefton and does not consider the impact of large and heavy construction traffic on our junctions and bridges.

·       We take impact on air quality very seriously. Do you believe that this proposal will have a harmful effect on the air quality of Sefton residents?

The situation is unclear at present. The air quality impact assessment has been based on modelling rather than using local data, and we feel it would be more beneficial to gather actual data on ambient air quality to help verify the modelling undertaken. This would provide a more reliable basis to assess any impacts and identify appropriate mitigation.

·       Will this proposal have a harmful impact on Sefton residents in terms of noise from associated machinery and traffic?

There  ...  view the full minutes text for item 41