On 24 January 2014, the UK's Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) published the government's response to its September 2013 consultation on revised requirements for planning applications for onshore oil & gas (including shale gas) developments. The response explains the government's reasons for making the following changes in relation to onshore oil & gas development:
- altering some notice requirements for planning permission applications by: (i) retaining the requirement that applicants serve notice on owners and tenants of land above ground; (ii) retaining the requirement that applicants publish notices in a newspaper and have site displays in parishes; (iii) removing the requirement for applicants to serve notice on owners of land in relation to solely underground operations; and (iv) adding a new requirement – a site display in every local authority ward where no parish exists, or where the parish only covers part of the ward;
- introducing a simplified standard application form to be published by the Secretary of State, which will not include specific questions in relation to climate change; and
- clarifying the application fees, which will be calculated on the basis of the area of the above ground works only. The government will also increase fees by 10% on the basis of surface area works.
The changes to the notice requirements and the requirement for applicants to use a standard application form came into force on 13 January 2014.
For the full response click here
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