Town halls’ guidance for fracking schemes

FRACKING FIRMS would be forced to show how they would restore sites in parts of Yorkshire to their original use after drilling work is completed under plans being considered by two local authorities.

The proposals are part of the joint minerals local plan submission document which East Riding of Yorkshire Council and Hull City Council put out to consultation yesterday.

The 164-page document sets out detailed policies for East Riding and Hull against which applications for minerals development, such as quarrying to extract chalk, sand and gravel, will be assessed.

But it also includes guidance to judge any future proposals for fracking, the controversial practice of hydraulic fracturing for shale gas which has sparked furious opposition across the region.

In North Yorkshire, the county’s minerals and waste joint plan outlines how fracking proposals within a 3.5km (2.2-mile) buffer zone around the Moors and the region’s three Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty would need to come with a detailed assessment about the potential impacts.

The East Yorkshire and Hull document sets out the criteria needed for the extraction of shale gas to be supported. These include measures to avoid pollution of ground water.

It says: “All applications for shale gas development must be accompanied by details of how the site would be restored back to its original use once the relevant operation is completed, subject to it not being approved for further stages of exploitation.”

Consultation started yesterday and runs until May 21. After this, all the documents and representations will be sent to the Government.