Decision details

Purpose of report: To inform the Executive Member for Environment of a Government consultation relating to compulsory community pre-application consultation for shale gas development and to set out a draft officer response to the consultation.

Members will be asked to note the Government consultation and to consider and agree a draft response for submission by the agreed deadline of 7 January 2019.

The Council aims to give the same 28 days clear notice of non key decisions as it does for key decisions, but in exceptional circumstances this may not be possible.  In this case, the item will not have been on the forward plan for 28 days before the decision is taken.  Officers have advised that this matter needs to be considered urgently to adhere to the national government deadline of the 7 January, for which the next scheduled Executive Member Decision session would be too late.

Resolved:  (i)      That the government consultation on compulsory community pre-application consultation for shale gas development be noted.

                   (ii)      That Option 1 be approved and the views set out in the ‘Suggested Authority Response’, including the appendix, which align with the council’s submitted Joint Waste and Minerals Plan sections of the report, be endorsed and submitted to the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government and Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, as relevant.

Reason:     To allow officers to respond to the consultation prior to the deadline of 7 January 2018.