On Friday 20th May North Yorkshire County Council is due to determine the planning application by Third Energy to frack at Kirby Misperton. The meeting will take place at 9.30 am in County Hall, Northallerton and is open to the public. We understand that the meeting is expected to continue on Monday 23rd May.
The officers’ report to Councillors has been published today and can be viewed on the NYCC website via this link. The report is 252 pages long, with the conclusion and recommendation in pages 247-252. Despite over 4,000 objections (and only 32 supporters), the report recommends that the application be approved subject to conditions.
At Ryedale, district councillors voted on 15 March to override their officers’ recommendation and come out against this fracking application. Important voices are already calling upon the county councillors, who have the final say, to act likewise, defy their officers and reflect the widespread local opposition by rejecting the application.
Anti-fracking campaigners are expected come out in force at County Hall on 20th May.
In view of the large number of people expected to attend the meeting, special arrangements have been put in place. The Council has advised that capacity in the main meeting room is likely to be taken up by people who have registered to speak on the application. Video relays will be provided to various additional meeting rooms in County Hall and an audio relay will be provided to the front of County Hall. No parking is available on the County Hall campus. Northallerton train station is across the road from County Hall.
Below, Slingsby Village website keeps you up to date with other recent developments:
- The Environment Agency has granted the environmental permits that Third Energy need to operate at Kirby Misperton. The permits set out the conditions that Third Energy must follow to protect groundwater, surface water and air quality and to ensure the safe storage, management and disposal of wastes. These permits are separate from the planning application that the County Council are considering. Both planning permission and environmental permits must be in place before operations can begin.
- Flamingo Land have written to the County Council to express their concern about the fracking application. Their letter states: “Our fear is that the current application is merely the start of a process which will lead to at least 40 local drilling sites within the Ryedale district, then tourism within our area will be negatively affected permanently. We were informed that the used water would be piped to containers, removed and treated, but now this does not seem to be the case. Additionally, we now have concern for our beloved, and in many cases critically endangered, animal collection’s welfare…. Over and above our animal collection we now have health concerns for local residents, visiting public and our resort guests.” (Source: York Press 5.5.2016)
- INEOS, another fracking company which holds exploratory licences covering several areas in Ryedale, has announced that they are “firing the starting gun” on their programme. They plan to carry out surveys this summer before lodging planning applications for core drilling later this year. They will be holding open public exhibition events in the coming weeks and months – no details yet available. An INEOS meeting for Ryedale and York councillors took place in the Milton Rooms in Malton on 11th May.
Watch Slingsby Village website for further developments on this important local issue.
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