Transcript Slide 1
Hydrocarbons in Dorset: A Planning
Perspective
Michael Garrity
Planning Policy Team Leader
Dorset County Council
What is ‘Fracking’?
• Hydraulic fracturing
• Pumping water at high pressure
into shale formation
• Creates fractures
• Sand and chemicals pumped in to
hold fissures open
Source: This is Money.co.uk, 7 June 2013
http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/mark
ets/article-2337311
• Once pressure is released, ‘frac
fluid’ followed by the released gas
flows into the well
What are the potential risks (real and perceived)?
• Seismic tremors, depending on scale of operation and
geology
• Pollution of ground water or aquifers (in the event of
chemical frac fluid leakages)
• Associated health impacts
• Potential for disturbance of Jurassic Coast World Heritage
Site – risk of rock falls etc?
• Impacts on communities – noise, vibration
• Associated impacts: visual, light pollution, vehicular
movements
• Localised impacts upon ecology
• Cumulative impacts
‘Unconventional’ Hydrocarbons – National Planning
Policy Framework
• ‘Minerals are essential to support sustainable
economic growth and our quality of life. It is
therefore important that there is a sufficient
supply of material to provide the infrastructure,
buildings, energy and goods that the country
needs’ (para. 142).
• When planning for on-shore oil and gas
development, including unconventional
hydrocarbons, [mineral planning authorities
should] clearly distinguish between the three
phases of development (exploration, appraisal
and production) and address constraints on
production and processing within areas that are
licensed for oil and gas exploration or
production’ (para. 147).
‘Unconventional’ Hydrocarbons: Ministerial Statement
Exploration for shale gas (13 December 2012)
‒ … appropriate controls are available to mitigate
the risks of undesirable seismic activity…
Edward Davey MP
Secretary of State for Energy
and Climate Change
‒ I am in principle prepared to consent to new
fracking proposals for shale gas, where all other
necessary permissions and consents are in
place…
‒ This opens the way to a resumption of work on
exploration for shale gas, though I stress the
importance of other regulatory consents and
planning permission which are also necessary
and must be in place before my Department
will consider consent to individual applications.
‘Unconventional’ Hydrocarbons: Government
Position
George Osborne – Budget Speech
• I want Britain to “tap into new sources of low cost energy
like shale gas”.
• By July 2013 new planning guidance would be available
alongside proposals to allow local communities to benefit
from having shale gas wells in their areas.
• “Shale gas is part of the future. And we will make it
happen”.
What is the Scientific View? (1)
Independent study carried out following
request from UK Government’s Chief
Scientific Adviser, SirJohn Beddington FRS
• Health, safety and environmental risks
associated with fracking can be managed
effectively in the UK as long as best
practices are implemented and enforced
through regulation
• Risk to aquifers is low provided that
extraction takes place at depths of many
hundreds of metres or several kilometres
• Faulty wells and spills at surface levels are
more likely causes of environmental
contamination
• Ensuring well integrity must remain the
highest priority to prevent contamination
(risk is low if best practice followed)
• Accidental spills can be mitigated
What is the Scientific View? (2)
• Ensuring additives are non-hazardous would
help to mitigate the impact of any leak
• Risk of seismicity induced by fracking can be
reduced by traffic light monitoring systems that
use real-time seismic monitoring so that
operators can respond promptly
• Important to assess the geology of the area
• An Environmental Risk Assessment should be
mandatory for all shale gas operations
• Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials:
experience in UK exists to ensure effective
management
• Care will be needed to take account of scaling
up of impacts depending on size / cumulative
effect of operations
Can a Mineral Planning Authority introduce a
presumption against hydraulic fracturing?
• A plan cannot adopt a general presumption against
development without very specific evidence that this is
necessary (highly unlikely that this can be proven)
• The NPPF carries a presumption in favour of sustainable
development
• A new test of soundness for plans: they have to be
positively prepared
• This is not to say that permissions must be granted
• Policies have to set out relevant considerations that will
be used to consider planning applications
Shale Gas – Licensing and Planning
• No shale gas activity in Dorset currently and it is not clear if there is
potential for shale gas extraction
• DECC issues Petroleum Exploration and Development Licences (PEDL)
to selected companies for specific geographical areas
• These do not provide rights of access and the licensee needs to
obtain the necessary planning consents
• Separate environmental permit from Environment Agency also
required
• DECC would then consider an application to drill, and HSE would be
involved.
• There are three stages – exploration, appraisal and
production/development and each requires separate planning
permission.
• Planning applications need to have regard to the Local Plan policy
framework
Dorset Context
•
Internationally protected heathland and
wetland habitats
•
Two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty
•
Dorset and East Devon Coast World Heritage
Site
•
Important archaeological and other historic
assets
•
A myriad of local designations
•
Existing mineral interests – stone, ball clay,
sand and gravel, oil and gas
Images taken from Images of Dorset website:
http://www.imagesofdorset.org.uk/Dorset/014/intro.htm
Bournemouth, Dorset and Poole
Minerals and Waste Development Framework
Minerals Local Plan: Strategy
• Bournemouth, Dorset and
Poole Minerals Strategy:
strategic policy overview
• Examination before an
independent Inspector in May
2013
• Further consultation on
modifications later this year
• Adoption by end 2013 / early
2014
Minerals Local Plan: Sites
• Will identify sites for a range of minerals (where necessary)
• Work begun 2008
• Delayed due to change in local plan procedures / government policy
• Work has since resumed - consultation later this year
• Examination/Adoption by end 2014 – ideally…
Waste Local Plan
• Current Plan is the Bournemouth, Dorset and
Poole Waste Local Plan 2006
• Work has begun (2012) to produce new
Bournemouth, Dorset and Poole Waste Plan,
including strategy and sites
• At least two more consultations, including one
later this year
• Work will continue on into 2014…
Bournemouth, Dorset and Poole Minerals Strategy:
Chapter 12 – Hydrocarbons
•Specific reference to Unconventional Gas Resources
•Policy HY1: sets out the criteria to be met regarding proposals for
exploration and appraisal
•Policy HY2: sets out criteria to be met for well sites and facilities to be
permitted)
•Policy HY4 controls the decommissioning and restoration of production
facilities.
Bournemouth, Dorset and Poole Minerals Strategy –
development management policies
• Policy DM1 – Key Criteria for Sustainable Minerals
Development
• Policy DM2 – Managing Impacts on Amenity, which specifically
refers to the need to manage the stability of land above and
below ground level
• Policy DM3 – Managing Impacts on Surface Water and Ground
Water Resources
• DM4 – Protecting Landscape Character
• DM5 – Biodiversity and Geodiversity
• DM6 – the World Heritage Site
• DM7 – The Historic Environment
• DM8 – Transport and Minerals Development
The future?
– Government intending to publish further statement on
shale gas later this year
– Once adopted, the Minerals Strategy will set out the policy
context for considering proposals, should any come forward
– As is the case with any planning application, all proposals
will be considered on their merits having regard to the
policies of the Local Plan
– Government will issue final consent once planning
permission/permits are in place
– The Minerals Strategy provides the tools to consider
potential impacts