Part 3 : INEOS Pre-Fracking Application

This series of items attempts to summarize INEOS's planning application to the Derbyshire County Council for explorations on land adjacent to Bramleymoor Lane near Marsh Lane. This is done to show key items we need to overcome, especially when preparing our own counter submissions. Any responses showing any key material which I have missed out are most welcome.

This summary is item (C) from the pattern I provided earlier and is nine pages long being described by INEOS as "Our Proposals Explained" - it is actually something of a propaganda sheet. I use the County Council's numbering system from its relevant site. Which can be accessed via this link.

Below I centre mainly on the headings of each section, but then reproduce their concluding comments in full as they seem to me to cover the main element in this submission. 

Page 3 : "Who Are INEOS Upsteam ?"  It employs 4,000 people on seven sites (There is an accompanying map which shows six sites in England, plus those in Scotland where fracking is now blocked by the Scottish Government. However, some of its sites may not be the type of fracking areas which are being prepared for in our region - such as those which are next to the sea).

Page 4 : "What Is Shale Gas ?"

Page 5 : "Why Is It Important ?"

Page 6 : "What Does The Planning Application Propose ?"  Includes what it uses as "evidence" from other bodies such as the British Geological Survey. The latter is a body which I feel should be doing a better job in revealing dangerous underground fracture lines in our area.

Page 7 : "What Happens Next ?"

Page 8 : Finally they give the following "Concluding Comments"  - reproduced below.

CONCLUDING COMMENTS

In conclusion:

• The proposal is critical to exploring the potential of shale gas in this area

• Without exploration, the UK will not be able to establish the potential of this resource

• The application concerns only this core well stage, with any future stage subject to separate planning applications to be judged on their own merits at that time

• The technology and method to be applied is tried and tested and developed to meet specific site requirements taking in to account the local characteristics

• The proposed development is designed and will be managed to either avoid, minimise or mitigate potential effects

• The proposal is wholly consistent with the Government’s support for shale gas as a prospective resource capable of enhancing energy security, economic performance, and UK’s path to a low-carbon future

• INEOS Upstream takes its responsibilities seriously and will continue to engage with all local stakeholders through this planning application process and subsequently.

H.B. As residents are the biggest stakeholders of all, we need to unite against these proposals via as effective means as possible.