The local application from Aurora Energy to drill a test well at Great Altcar, is not included in the current moratorium. The application is being progressed with Lancashire County Council now..!

Detailed below is information on the current status of the application, together with new deadline dates for objections and a proposed date for Lancashire County Council to meet and consider a ruling on the application.

LATEST NEWS ON AURORA’s PLANNING APPLICATION

Lancashire County Council (LCC) sent a statutory (Regulation 25) letter to Aurora on the 25^th October 2019 requesting additional information in support of its planning application to construct fracking wells on a site at Great Altcar. The issues covered largely reflected concerns raised by a number of consultees about a range of aspects of the application i.e.

Wellsite construction (including the intended height of the drilling rig)

Green belt incursion

Ecology

Seismicity

Highways

Archaeology

Climate change

Noise

Groundwater/surface water

Air quality

Despite the impending general election, Aurora apparently provided a comprehensive response (in five parts) to LCC’s Regulation 25 letter on the 9^th December 2019. Although such responses from planning applicants would normally be expediently displayed on its planning portal, this did not happen until the 15^th January 2020. This was the same day that The Moss Alliance’s objection report was submitted to LCC with a request that it be published online. The recent responses from Aurora can be viewed at the bottom of page 4 of the ‘attachments’ to application reference LCC/2019/0037.

http://planningregister.lancashire.gov.uk/PlanAppDisp.aspx?recno=7359

It is understood that LCC has nominated the 24^th February 2020 as the deadline for consultees to respond to the new information from Aurora, and has decided to hold a special meeting of its Development Control Committee tentatively fixed for the 27^th March 2020 to determine the planning application.

To that end objections from the public will have to be posted via email, on the planning portal or in writing no later than 6th March 2020. We now urge further support in opposing the planning application by responding to Aurora’s newly submitted responses.

All the local groups (and their consultant advisors) opposed to the planning application are now busily digesting the new information with a view to submitting further objections to the application in due course. You also have the opportunity to sign online petition via 38degrees “fracking at Altcar Moss”.

You can raise an individual objection via:-

 1. Email: devcon@lancashire.gov.uk

OR

2. In writing: The Development Management Group, PO Box 100, County Hall, Preston, PR1 0LD.

OR

3. via Lancashire’s planning Portal and follow the link at the bottom of the page

How to have your say then click on make a representation online

In each case please quote reference LCC/2019/0037 and the location. ALTCAR MOSS WELLSITE, SUTTON’S LANE, Great Altcar

Please ensure your letter/email states explicitly “I object” to the application with your own reasons and you include your name, address and postcode.

For additional information, please see Detailed Objections