A decision on whether to allow a company to go ahead with controversial plans to explore for oil in a national park in southern England will be made later today.

Officers at the South Downs National Park Authority (SDNPA) have recommended that the proposal by Celtique Energy to explore for oil or gas at Fernhurst in West Sussex, should be rejected. However, the final decision will be made by the SDNPA’s planning committee.

 The decision is a key one for the government which has stated that fracking should only be allowed in “exceptional circumstances” in the most precious areas of British countryside - such as national parks.

 Last week a poll revealed that 60% of people opposed fracking in national parks, while only 22% were in favour.

Representatives from various local groups who are against the proposals will be meeting outside Memorial Hall at the South Downs Centre where the Planning Committee will decide on an application to explore for oil in the National Park.

Groups attending include: Friends of the Earth, Frack Free Fernhurst, Keep Kirdford and Wisborough Green, Frack Free Balcombe Residents Association and Frack Free Sussex. 

The Committee will consider a proposal for the installation of a well and associated infrastructure, including access road and soil bunds, for the drilling of a vertical borehole for the exploration, testing and evaluation of hydrocarbons for a temporary period of three years.

The briefing paper for Committee members says that the application “has generated an exceptionally high number of representations and level of public interest, and is also recognised as being a decision that requires a careful balancing of all the relevant matters.”....

“Account has been taken of the latest national planning policy, principally the assessment in relation to demonstrating exceptional circumstance and public interest for major development in a designated area. Having considered the information submitted relating to the need, (including national considerations); cost of, and scope for developing elsewhere outside the designated area; and adverse impact on the environment, landscape and recreational opportunities together with other topic areas (as explored within Section 8 of the report), the applicant has not proven that the proposal would be in the public interest and that exceptional circumstances exist for the development to be permitted within the National Park.”

“Furthermore, the applicant has failed to demonstrate there are exceptional circumstances that would outweigh the significant and valid concerns relating to landscape impact, increase in heavy vehicle movements along Vann Road, together with insufficient noise details and controls to make the proposal acceptable in planning terms.”

However, on water-related implications of the proposal, the paper says the Environment Agency has raised no objection on the grounds of water protection subject to appropriately worded conditions requiring details of site drainage, a Construction Method Statement, and a risk assessment of the water environment.

The Openness of Local Government Bodies Regulations are in force, giving a right to members of the public to record (film, photograph and audio-record) and report on proceedings at the  committee meeting. The meeting will also be filmed for live or subsequent broadcast via the Authority’s website on the internet - at the start of the meeting the Chair will confirm if all or part of the meeting is to be filmed.

The Chair has agreed that on this occasion the number of speakers permitted to speak will be:

• Up to three individuals or group representatives who are opposing the application
• Up to three individuals or group representatives who are supporting the application
• 2 local Parish Councillors, 1 from Lynchmere Parish Council and 1 from Fernhurst Parish Council
• A local District Councillor for the ward
• The local County Councillor

The live webcast can be viewed here - http://www.southdowns.public-i.tv/core/portal/home