en.Wedoany.com Reported - Lancashire County Council has issued an enforcement notice to energy company Cuadrilla, requiring it to restore the Preston New Road fracking site in accordance with approved planning conditions.
The notice stems from a decision by Lancashire County Council's (LCC) Development Control Committee in December last year, which rejected Cuadrilla's application for a further extension to complete site restoration.
Cuadrilla conducted fracking operations in Lancashire in the late 2010s, aiming to bring a cost-effective and domestically sourced shale gas energy to market. The operations were controversial from the outset. Opponents generally argue that this technology, widely used in sparsely populated regions such as the United States and Australia, is not safe enough in densely populated countries like the UK due to potential instability.
Cuadrilla received its first permit in 2016. In September 2018, the company obtained permission to drill a second horizontal shale exploration well at Preston New Road in Little Plumpton, Fylde, which was its flagship project. Fracking operations continued throughout 2019, after which the situation changed rapidly.
In November of the same year, the government issued a moratorium based on a report from the Oil & Gas Authority, which concluded that "it is not currently possible to accurately predict the probability of earthquakes associated with hydraulic fracturing." The moratorium was reinstated in 2022.
In 2023, Cuadrilla received an initial two-year extension to complete site remediation. In January 2025, the company issued a press release outlining plans to plug the PNR exploration well with cement and remove surface pipelines and valves. Subsequently, it applied for a further extension until June 2027, but this application was rejected in December, in line with officer recommendations.
A total of 60 objections to the extension were recorded, with anti-fracking group Frack-Free Fylde among those attending the December meeting. LCC stated that since rejecting Cuadrilla's extension, it had been informed that Cuadrilla would begin dismantling site infrastructure, marking the start of the restoration process. However, the approved restoration timeline had not been adhered to, resulting in "unacceptable and unnecessary harm to the rural character of the area."
The enforcement notice requires that within four months of service of the notice, all equipment, buildings, security and acoustic fencing, pollution control membranes, aggregate, and concrete hardstanding forming part of the drilling site be removed. The land must then be restored to a condition suitable for agricultural use within six months of service of the notice. LCC stated it would not hesitate to take further action if the notice requirements are not met.
Joshua Roberts, Lancashire County Council's cabinet member for Rural Affairs, Environment and Community, said: "This situation has gone on for far too long. Local residents have had to endure this site for longer than they should have, and it is right that we are now taking decisive action to bring this to a close. The removal of site infrastructure has begun, which is positive, but it is crucial that full restoration is completed within the required timeframe. We will not hesitate to take further steps if necessary."
Cuadrilla has been contacted for comment.
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