At the last Mendip District Council Full Council meeting (13 June 2013), I posed two questions. The second concerned the impacts and risks of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in the Mendip area:

“2.      In light of the recent concerns expressed by members of the public and councillors about the likely impacts of unconventional gas exploitation (including hydraulic fracturing, ‘fracking’) on Mendip’s sensitive environment and economy, and the clear need for further assessment of the environmental effects of this type of development before any decisions are made (by DECC on their next licensing round from 2014, and Somerset County Council on their Minerals Local Plan, and any future planning applications), can the Council’s leadership act to influence the process so that decisions are informed by adequate assessment of the environmental effects, and that members of this Council have a say, by:

a.       Lobbying DECC to ensure that the implications of licensing unconventional gas development within Mendip, are fully scoped and assessed in the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) now being undertaken by DECC’s consultants, so that the highest standards of assessment and environmental protection are applied to protecting our sensitive environment; and to inform DECC that the Council does not currently support this form of development (as stated in the current adopted pre-submission Local Plan).

b.      Ensuring that this Council’s members are given the opportunity to respond to relevant policies and planning applications consulted on by Somerset County Council and the Government on this form of development.

(As there was no Mendip response to Somerset’s Minerals Local Plan earlier this year; but policy MLP12 on UCG developments attracted over 100 comments (89% thinking it not precautionary enough), SCC’s Technical Note 4 is due this summer, the pre-Submission MLP is due this autumn.)    

c.       Noting that a report by the British Geological Survey found that the source of Bath’s thermal waters remains unknown, and hydraulic fracturing would pose an ‘undefinable risk’ to the hot springs. Noting a report (attached) by independent geologists, which concludes that gas exploitation in Mendip is likely to be ‘high risk’, with a risk of unforeseen ground conditions greater than in other parts of the UK, and that the likely impacts on communities and environment are likely to be unacceptable.

I attach the email from DECC about the SEA of their licensing round, which raises concerns. I also attach a briefing note for members, from an independent applied geology consultants about the likely environmental effects and risks of this form of development in the Mendip area.”

A debate on this question was also deferred to the next meeting in September, to allow officers time to review the situation and work with Somerset County Council, Bath & North East Somerset Council and the Environment Agency. Questions on fracking were also asked of Mendip’s Cabinet members at their Meet the Cabinet sessions around the district.  Since that time, concerns about the potential impacts of unconventional gas developments in the Mendip area have continued to be raised by Tessa Munt MP (Lib Dem, Wells), Don Foster MP (Lib Dem, Bath), and Conservative, Lib Dem and Labour councillors in B&NES.  A cross-party motion on fracking was passed unanimously in B&NES last week. This called for the council to register its concerns with DECC regarding the impacts on Bath’s hot springs, for the council to take an ‘in-depth look’ at the impacts of fracking and repoit on measures that can be taken to ‘control and if appropriate prevent’ unconventional gas exploration and extraction and geothermic exploitation within the B&NES area – see http://www.thisisbath.co.uk/Political-parties-unite-opposition-fracking-Bath/story-19507361-detail/story.html#axzz2ZDCiltDX 

However, nationally, the Government are pressing on with plans to encourage exploration and exploitation of unconventional gas across the UK, and are imminently due to issue planning guidance to ‘streamline’ planning applications and encourage communities to accept financial benefits from proposals in their areas. Cuadrilla have announced plans to expand their operations in Lancashire, and have new plans in West Sussex.  Anti-fracking groups have also sprung up nationally and in Somerset, Sussex and Lancashire.  In Somerset, ‘Frack Free Somerset’ has organised a series of meetings in the last few months, and local groups have formed in parts of Mendip and north east Somerset where the industry has talked about exploration plans. 

I understand that this issue will be debated at the next Mendip full council meeting (Monday 30 September, at Kilver Court), with officers of B&NES and Somerset County Council also attending to inform the debate.  Mendip’s Liberal Democrat group of councillors are preparing a Motion to express our concerns as a group, and to enable full debate and a vote on at the meeting. We are hoping for cross-party support.

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