Delay Burniston gas decision call from Friends of the Earth. The environmental organisation has written to North Yorkshire Council (NYC) urging it to delay its decision about a controversial new fracking proposal in Burniston, North Yorkshire.
It comes after the government published draft changes to national planning policy in mid – December that, if adopted, could have major implications for proposed new fossil fuel projects.
There have been more than 1,500 formal objections to the Burniston planning application by Europa Oil & Gas which would see the site developed for gas exploration using a process known as ‘proppant squeeze’. The fracking project is also strongly opposed by local group Frack Free Coastal Communities and the local MP for Scarborough and Whitby, Alison Hume.
Proppant squeeze is a form of fracking which uses a lower volume of fluid to explore for and extract the fossil fuel. Because of this, it’s not covered by the current fracking moratorium.
This loophole exists despite the Oil and Gas Authority (now the North Sea Transition Authority) previously concluding that it’s not yet possible to accurately predict the risk of seismic events, like earthquakes, based on the volume of fluid used in fracking. This means the use of lower volumes does not rule out risk. The loophole is something Friends of the Earth, alongside community groups such as Frack Free Coastal Communities, is campaigning to close.
In its letter to NYC, Friends of the Earth draws attention to the revised draft National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) currently out for public consultation until March 2026. The draft framework proposes a more restrictive approach to granting planning
consent for future fossil fuel projects.
Significantly, the changes remove the requirement for decision makers to give “great weight” to the economic benefits of onshore oil and gas developments when considering applications. Until now this policy has, in effect, tilted the planning system in favour of approving fossil fuel projects, making it easier for developers to secure consent and harder for communities and environmental groups to successfully oppose them. By contrast, there was no such “great weight” requirement in relation to renewable
energy projects like solar and wind developments.
This policy shift signals recognition of the need to transition away from fossil fuels as part of the UK’s response to climate change. Friends of the Earth welcome the move, seeing it as a major step towards aligning the planning system with the UK’s climate
commitments and a policy change it has long called for.
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