Shropshire gas borehole decision 'looming'

The Frack Free Dudleston group claim that a decision on whether the temporary drill to test for coal-bed methane should be allowed to go ahead near Ellesmere could be made at the end of this month at Shropshire Council's north planning committee.

Chris Hesketh, spokesman for the campaign group, said that when the meeting comes then he wants as many people as possible to go and show their solidarity against the plans.

He said: "We have been making sure that the councillors are aware of just how strong and united the local opinion is.

"We think that the application is going to be heard at the next Shropshire north planning meeting on September 23 at 2pm in the council chambers at Shirehall in Shrewsbury.

"The meeting is open to the public and the more people who are able to attend the better.

"We called the campaign Frack Free Dudleston to show unity with the wider campaign against unconventional gas extraction. Now we need to make sure that we don't have CBM or shale fracking here."

The date will not be confirmed by Shropshire Council until the agenda comes out later this month.

Campaign group Frack Free Dudleston has been at loggerheads with Dart Energy after it submitted a planning application for a temporary coal-bed methane (CBM) exploration borehole near Ellesmere.

Frack Free Dudleston was set up in May and claims allowing Dart Energy to carry out exploratory drilling in the area could open the door for fracking to take place in the future.

Fracking is a highly controversial method of extracting underground gas by using high pressure jets of water.

Supporters say it can lead to a dramatic falls in energy bills, but critics say it is harmful to the environment.

Dart Energy has always denied it has any plans to use fracking for shale gas in the county, even though north Shropshire sits on both coal and shale deposits.

Dart Energy says is is only interested in coal-bed methane.

Last month it was announced that a debate is to be set up by St Martins Shropshire councillor Steve Davenport to bring the campaigners, councillors and energy bosses face to face.

Mr Hesketh said: "We have been promised a head to head debate with a representative from Dart.

"All Shropshire councillors will be encouraged to attend, along with the press and the public.

"The debate will be about the proposals for unconventional gas extraction in Shropshire, however it will be quite separate to the planning process for the Dudleston CBM test drill."

A date for the debate is still to be fixed.

Nearly 500 objections have been made against controversial plans to drill for gas near Ellesmere.

Residents, who are concerned about the impact the scheme on land north west of The Brooklands in Dudleston will have on their homes, have objected forcefully.

Peter Reilly, a spokesman for Dart Energy, insists that once the 60-day temporary period is up the site will be restored to its former condition.