As predicted, the Government has confirmed its intention to grant licences for unconventional gas (coal bed methane) exploration in areas near Frome, in and around Rode, Beckington, Westbury, Trowbridge and Warminster.

In its response to consultation feedback from local councils, environmental groups, industry and local residents (including myself) on the Government’s assessments of the likely impacts on fracking and coal bed methane development in and around European-designated wildlife habitats, it confirmed that the proposed licenses would be issued in blocks ST84, 85, 94 and 95 – see https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/habitats-regulations-assessments-of-14th-onshore-oil-and-gas-licensing-round. Drilling and production would be banned within and ‘near’ internationally designated wildlife sites such as Salisbury Plain and the River Avon, although surveys would not.

These licence blocks have been offered to South Western Energy Ltd., of Bridgend, c/o Mr Gerwyn Williams. I have asked South Western Energy for a meeting.

In 2013, a Lib Dem-led motion to Mendip District Council, which stated Mendip did not support fracking (due to the risks to Mendip’s environment, cave network and Bath’s hot springs which form under the Mendip hills) gained unanimous cross-party agreement. A cross-party councillor working group was set up, and MDC’s leadership met DECC to express concerns about any proposals to renew licensing of exploration in the district.  Partly as a result of this, Mendip district has been largely spared from unconventional gas exploration in the licensing round this time, as the Government has not renewed previous licenses previously issued in the centre of the district (see here).

The Government this week also pushed new rules through to allow fracking 1,200 metres below National Parks and Sites of Special Scientific Interest (nationally important wildlife habitats) as long as drilling takes place from outside protected areas. This comes despite the government previously pledging an outright ban on the controversial technique for extracting shale gas in such areas. See http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/dec/16/fracking-under-national-parks-approved-by-mps-amid-acrimony.

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