Plans for a controversial gas drilling rig near Scarborough have been recommended for approval despite more than 1,500 local objections.
In a 90-page planning report published by North Yorkshire Council, Europa Oil & Gas’ plan for a 38m gas drilling rig has been recommended for approval by the authority’s strategic planning committee.
The scheme is currently scheduled to be discussed at a meeting on Friday, January 30, at Scarborough Town Hall.
Despite the recommendation for approval, Scarborough and Whitby’s MP has said she is “confident that small-scale fracking will not go ahead in Burniston”.
Plans for the proposed wellsite, which is located 350 metres to the east of the village of Burniston, 700 metres southwest of the coastline, and 800 metres south of the North York Moors National Park boundary, were first announced in 2024.
NYC said there were “no material planning considerations that warrant its refusal”, and added that “there would be no unacceptable adverse environmental impacts resulting from the proposed development”.
Residents in the area, including local farmers, have said they are seriously concerned by the potential environmental impacts of the proposal, including on underground waterways.
The oil and gas company behind the plan, which proposes using a “proppant squeeze” method to extract the gas, has said the site is a “potentially significant gas resource” and, if further approvals were granted, extraction could take place for “about 20 years”.
Planning officers have also said that while the proposal would lead to a change to the landscape, it would “not result in any unacceptable impacts on local amenity, the character of the surrounding area and landscape, the local highway network, ecology, or the water environment, or lead to an unacceptable impact on air quality or climate change”.
Friends of the Earth’s Yorkshire and Humber Regional Campaigner, Simon Bowens, said:
"This recommendation is deeply concerning. Proppant squeeze is a form of fracking, and local residents have made it crystal clear that they do not want it in their community.
“Next week, the planning committee has the opportunity to listen to the community and reject the application. At the very least, they should refuse to approve it now and delay a decision until the government’s position on proppant squeeze is clear.
“The government has said it will ban fracking for good – this must include proppant squeeze. Failure to do so would leave the door open to further low-volume fracking schemes like the one at Burniston.”
Alison Hume, the MP for Scarborough and Whitby, said it would be
“incredibly helpful if North Yorkshire Council could pause the decision-making process on Europa Oil and Gas’s proposed proppant‑squeeze in Burniston”.
Europa recently said there was “no justification for delaying a decision on the application”.
Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), Ms Hume added:
“The government is currently consulting on changes to the National Planning Policy Framework, including removing the requirement to give ‘great weight’ to onshore oil and gas benefits.
“If adopted, this would materially alter how such applications are assessed, making a postponement reasonable.
“I remain confident that small-scale fracking will not go ahead in Burniston.”
A spokesperson for Europa Oil & Gas said:
“We are pleased to receive a positive recommendation from the council’s planning team regarding our plans for the well in Burniston, and hope that the planning committee members will now support the expert recommendation made following a very thorough process.”
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