Cuadrilla seeking permission to extend use of gas well in Fylde village Elswick until 2030

The proposals have been submitted to Lancashire County County and Fylde Council is now being asked to comment on the new application, as a consultee on the issue.

The application is for retention and continuation of use of Elswick Generation Station for natural gas extraction and electricity generation until July 15 2030 including installation of a new generation unit.

Cuadrilla’s involvement with the site, off winding country lane Roseacre Road, on the edge of Elswick and smaller villages, dates back to May 1994, when the company was granted permission by County Hall’s for the temporary extraction of hydrocarbons and generation of electricity.

Since then, further permission has been granted to Cuadrilla to extend the period allowed for the continuation of gas extraction.

The most recent of these was in 2020, when the company was granted another extension - via a variation of condition application - to continue the extraction until July 31 2025, after which it was required to restore the site to its original state..

However, Cuadrilla ha now lodged its new application, via another variation of conditions, which would allowing the operation to continue until July 15, 2030.

The application has been lodged with Lancashire County Council, for consideration by the Development Control Committee.

While the site has experienced fracking in the past, current activities focus on utilizing the existing well for electricity generation. Cuadrilla is exploring options for the site, potentially including continued electricity generation, but without further fracking.

Objection to plans

An objection has been lodged by Treales, Roseacre & Wharles Parish Council, which serves these other nearby villages, in an extensive and strongly-worded letter submitted to County Hall’s planning portal.

It states: “In 2020 the applicant was granted the benefit of yet a further permission to refurbish the site to enable the return to productive use for a planned period concluding in July 2025, according to the application.

“However, the applicant failed to produce any output until October 2024 and since that time has produced erratically, less gas than that venting from a former coal mine. As of the recent figures available in February 2025 even this appears to be in decline from that low base.

“On a monthly basis, this output equates to 0.2 of 1% of the UK onshore gas production. The applicant proposes to continue to deprive the nation of the best and most versatile land for a demonstrably non-material and unsustainable output. Such an approach does not contribute as an economic nor efficient lowest whole system cost to the Net-zero transition to the consumer.

“The plant and equipment should be reused for more productive use appropriate to their economic and efficient capacity or recycled if at the end of their useful lives. “

The parish council added that ongoing activities were resulting in “anxiety regarding highways safety, uncontrolled environmental disturbance, amenity loss and adverse health and well-being “ of residents.

What Cuadrilla says

However, a planning statement on behalf of Cuadrilla states: “The planning application seeks to retain and continue the use of the site for the continued extraction of natural gas and electricity generation for a maximum period of five (5) years.

“The proposal accords with relevant national and local planning policies. Government policy supports the production of indigenous gas reserves to maintain security of supply and national guidance directs that ‘minerals are essential to the nation’s prosperity and quality of life’.

“The application has considered and appraised the potential environmental effects and where necessary appropriate mitigation is proposed or has been designed as an integral part of the development.

“On balance the benefits of the development are considered to offset any disbenefits and environmental effects. Having considered the details set out in this Planning Application, the development plan and other material considerations the development should be granted planning permission and operationally and environmentally controlled through the imposition of the existing planning conditions under application LCC/2020/0006 .”