MP’s question over fracking decision move

In Parliament, he asked the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government: “For what reasons he has decided to recover the planning appeals by Caudrilla Resources to build shale gas wells at Roseacre and Preston New Road?”

James Wharton, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, told him the ‘major significance’ of fracking was the reason.

He said: “The reasons for the decision are set out in his letter to parties. This makes clear that the drilling appeals involve proposals for exploring and developing shale gas which amount to proposals for development of major importance having more than local significance and proposals which raise important or novel issues of development control, and/ or legal difficulties.”

Mr Menzies also asked what the government’s policy was on pausing the applications until after the Environment Agency has completed its consultation and published guidance.

Mr Wharton told him there was no such policy in place.