North York Moors planners have decided against objecting to a controversial gas extraction test site near the national park boundary.
Europa Oil and Gas Ltd has submitted a planning application for the temporary plant on land near Burniston, north of Scarborough.
Permission is being sought from North Yorkshire Council to drill a test well at Burniston Mill, in Coastal Road.
The application site lies around 800m outside the national park boundary at its closest point and members of North York Moors National Park Authority met on Thursday to decide on their response to the application.
Members agreed with the recommendation of officers that the site would not cause unacceptable harm to the national park and was not in conflict with planning policies.
A report for members concluded: “It is considered that the development has the potential to lead to a degree of harm to the national park as a result of the direct visibility of some elements of the development, including in nighttime views.
“These views would be at some distance and the degree of harm from this, and to the setting of the national Park, is considered to be limited.
“Subject to clarification of certain matters and subject to imposition of appropriate controls, it is however concluded that this relatively short-term development would not lead to significant harm to the delivery of national park statutory purposes, or to national park special qualities.”
Proposing that the recommendation was approved by the committee, member Malcolm Bowes said: “I’m perfectly relaxed by the report. I think it was a very good report.”
The committee asked for clarification on various issues including the length the test rig would be in place and on the proposed route of HGVs visiting the site
A proposal for a site visit by members of the committee was rejected.
The meeting heard the a 98ft (30m) tall drilling rig would be built as part of a “proppant squeeze” test project.
The applicant says the site potentially has significant gas resource. If the tests are successful, a new planning application would be submitted for a more permanent drill site.
The process involves a slurry, such as sand or ceramic particles, being injected into the well to fracture surrounding rocks, allowing more gas to be recovered.
The technique, which has been described as “small-scale fracking”, has been accused by some of being a loophole in the UK’s moratorium on the fossil fuel extraction process.
Last month, members of Burniston Parish Council voted to object to the scheme after around 70 members of the public turned up at a council meeting to hear the discussion.
The application has also prompted demonstrations from local residents.
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