Give us a fracking break!

[XM5ER]

FredClogs said:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-34...

Looks like confirmation that central government will take ministerial control over the planning decision at little plumpton and roseacre...

Disappointing but expected from this bunch.

Why? Do you like the darkness?

[FredClogs]

XM5ER said:

FredClogs said:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-34...

Looks like confirmation that central government will take ministerial control over the planning decision at little plumpton and roseacre...

Disappointing but expected from this bunch.

Why? Do you like the darkness?

No, but I do quite like the idea of government who stick to the principles of democracy and local decision making, especially when they spend years championing it and continue to hark on about devolved decision making... It was Cameron who made the big deal about devolving these decisions to County councils, the first one is returned and it's not what he or his investors want so hey presto... decision is taken back in house to be made by someone with no professional expertise (or probably interest) in planning decisions.

[Oakey]

It's hardly 'democratic' to make a decision based on being afraid of a vocal minority, especially when one site was actually approved by planning inspectors. If support against fracking is so high then how come the Preston New Road Action Group have failed to raise the £45,000 they needed? They don't even tell you how much they've raised to date!

Besides which, if it had been approved originally do you think the anti-fracking lot wouldn't have appealed?

[jurbie]

Is this the one where there was no legal case to refuse planning but the council refused anyway meaning any appeal would be successful on those grounds alone but at least the spineless council would be absolved of making the final decision?

So yeah very shocking how the government are interfering or another way to view it would be the government is simply doing the job the council should have done in the first place. Does beg the question what is the point of the council and maybe all planning decisions regarding fracking should be made by central government?

[Swervin_Mervin]

FredClogs said:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-34...

Looks like confirmation that central government will take ministerial control over the planning decision at little plumpton and roseacre...

Disappointing but expected from this bunch.

Secretary of State call-in for this sort of planning application is perfectly normal, and happens regularly.

He still has to take note of the Inspector's considerations and decision.

ETA: Generally an applicant would prefer their appeal to NOT be called in by the SoS.

Edited by Swervin_Mervin on Friday 27th November 13:36

[Andy Zarse]

FredClogs said:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-34...

Looks like confirmation that central government will take ministerial control over the planning decision at little plumpton and roseacre...

Disappointing but expected from this bunch.

Just rejoice at that news. Rejoice.

Poor old Fred, is there anything he's ever right about?

[Swervin_Mervin]

And here's an example of a called-in appeal, where the SoS has upheld the views of the Inspector and dismissed the appeal.

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greate...

[powerstroke]

FredClogs said:

XM5ER said:

FredClogs said:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-34...

Looks like confirmation that central government will take ministerial control over the planning decision at little plumpton and roseacre...

Disappointing but expected from this bunch.

Why? Do you like the darkness?

No, but I do quite like the idea of government who stick to the principles of democracy and local decision making, especially when they spend years championing it and continue to hark on about devolved decision making... It was Cameron who made the big deal about devolving these decisions to County councils, the first one is returned and it's not what he or his investors want so hey presto... decision is taken back in house to be made by someone with no professional expertise (or probably interest) in planning decisions.

Local decision making !!!! you mean a load of dribbling nimbys and bung takers ....

[hidetheelephants]

Rare for rational thought and logic, particularly applied to energy and fracking, to make it onto the BBC but this one got past the censors, albeit accompanied with the requisite handwringing about impending climageddon. Prof Paul Younger on interesting stuff. The bit about fracking etc is from ~16.30 onwards.

[mybrainhurts]

powerstroke said:

FredClogs said:

XM5ER said:

FredClogs said:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-34...

Looks like confirmation that central government will take ministerial control over the planning decision at little plumpton and roseacre...

Disappointing but expected from this bunch.

Why? Do you like the darkness?

No, but I do quite like the idea of government who stick to the principles of democracy and local decision making, especially when they spend years championing it and continue to hark on about devolved decision making... It was Cameron who made the big deal about devolving these decisions to County councils, the first one is returned and it's not what he or his investors want so hey presto... decision is taken back in house to be made by someone with no professional expertise (or probably interest) in planning decisions.

Local decision making !!!! you mean a load of dribbling nimbys and bung takers ....

And incompetent, dogmatic idiots who know nothing about anything, but rely on imagination and emotion to impose rules on us they deem to be in our interest but are, more often than not, a crock of st.

Otherwise know as control freaks.

I wouldn't trust most of the councillors in my neck of the woods to lick my windows.

[mybrainhurts]

hidetheelephants said:

Rare for rational thought and logic, particularly applied to energy and fracking, to make it onto the BBC but this one got past the censors, albeit accompanied with the requisite handwringing about impending climageddon. Prof Paul Younger on interesting stuff. The bit about fracking etc is from ~16.30 onwards.

Still toes the CO2 hoax/fraud line, though.

[chris watton]

mybrainhurts said:

Still toes the CO2 hoax/fraud line, though.

A pre-requisite of the BBC publishing it?

[hidetheelephants]

chris watton said:

mybrainhurts said:

Still toes the CO2 hoax/fraud line, though.

A pre-requisite of the BBC publishing it?

It would appear so.

[andymadmak]

Just get on with it!!!!!!!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-35099259


Greenpeace with an entirely predictable response....

[Mr GrimNasty]

It's an odd one isn't it, because in order to meet our CO2 targets the use of domestic gas will be phased out soon, as will all gas power stations unless they carbon capture (which is pie in the sky).

As all coal generation will have gone even before the gas, and all houses will have supposedly had to spend 30K on insulation and ground source heat pumps to create the new green Utopia that works off magic windmills and fluffy sun........

So there is no point in fracking if it can only be used for 10-15 years, say, no one would invest? Something don't add up!

[FredClogs]

Mr GrimNasty said:

It's an odd one isn't it, because in order to meet our CO2 targets the use of domestic gas will be phased out soon, as will all gas power stations unless they carbon capture (which is pie in the sky).

As all coal generation will have gone even before the gas, and all houses will have supposedly had to spend 30K on insulation and ground source heat pumps to create the new green Utopia that works off magic windmills and fluffy sun........

So there is no point in fracking if it can only be used for 10-15 years, say, no one would invest? Something don't add up!

I think the gas price for the short to medium term will mean that the likes of Cuadrilla will be looking for some fixed pricing and guarantee from government (tax payers money in other words). The drill sites near me on the fylde coast are and were only ever meant to be test sites, not a commercially viable industrial venture, those are still many years away, not because of the technology or doubts over the quantity of gas but because of the economics of the situation at the moment.

So, say I'm right, how do the pro frackers feel about their tax money being spent/risked to essentially subsidies these ventures?

[rovermorris999]

I'd rather subsidise fracking and nuclear than useless wind turbines and solar although I'd rather not subsidise anything. Remove CO2 targets and green taxes and the supply problem will rapidly disappear.
Good luck heating a city with ground-source heat pumps. Electricity from 'renewables' just won't handle it let alone all the new all-electric wonder cars we may be forced into eventually. Somebody in government is going to have to wake up and face reality soon or we'll have a grim future.

[Mrr T]

FredClogs said:

I think the gas price for the short to medium term will mean that the likes of Cuadrilla will be looking for some fixed pricing and guarantee from government (tax payers money in other words). The drill sites near me on the fylde coast are and were only ever meant to be test sites, not a commercially viable industrial venture, those are still many years away, not because of the technology or doubts over the quantity of gas but because of the economics of the situation at the moment.

So, say I'm right, how do the pro frackers feel about their tax money being spent/risked to essentially subsidies these ventures?

The only indication I can see of any Government money being spent on fracking is the idea of the Government paying to drill lots of unnecessary bore holes around fracking sites to prove to the eco loons its safe.

The only risk to fracking is any decision in the US (where there is an over supply of gas at the moment) to allow the export of gas.

Lets get fracking and get safely richer.

[rolando]

As long as intermittent and unreliable renewables are part of the mix, the cost of any reliable power source will have to cover the downtime when these power stations are left uneconomically on standby. In other words, getting rid of solar that doesn't work at peak demand in the winter and wind generators which only work part time at the whim of the weather, will make gas and nuclear far more economical to run and will keep prices down for consumers.

[Scuffers]

FredClogs said:

So, say I'm right, how do the pro frackers feel about their tax money being spent/risked to essentially subsidies these ventures?

subsidy is the wrong word.

if they need help, it will be more likely over reduced tax rates, not subsidies.

No fossil fuel is subsidies, no matter how much bullst the green lobby throw in claiming it is.

Ignoring all of that though, I would be happy to pay subsidies for Gas compared to the billions we are paying to subsidies the st we do now (wind/solar/etc etc).