Fracking and coal mining in West Berks “may offer future potential”

Exploratory drilling and commercial production of oil and gas will be allowed, but only after passing stringent conditions.

There is a “significant” coal seam in the north part of the district, and pockets of shale gas across West Berkshire.

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Details were set out in a recent document published by West Berkshire Council. The ‘proposed submission of the minerals and waste local plan’ sets out where mining can take place across the district until 2036.

The document states: “There are deposits of deep coal underlying areas of West Berkshire along with outcrops of shales that may contain shale gas. None of these minerals are currently exploited, although they may offer potential for the future.”

Part of the plan, policy 12, looks at energy minerals, like coal and shale gas.

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According to that policy, exploratory drilling for oil and gas will be permitted, but only if: 

• It is not in the North Wessex Downs area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB), “other than in exceptional circumstances”,
• It doesn’t have an “unacceptable impact on the environment or community”, and
• There is “timely and high quality restoration and aftercare”.

Commercial production of oil and gas will be permitted, but only if:

• It is not in the North Wessex Downs AONB, “other than in exceptional circumstances and in the public interest”
• Detailed testing of the drilling-well is done
• It does not have an “unacceptable impact on the environment and community”
• The location “has been demonstrated as the most suitable”

A new sand mine has also been planned — in the legally protected AONB — as “exceptional circumstances” have been met, according to Elise Kinderman, minerals and waste team leader. These include a lack of supply of soft sand in West Berkshire.

Due to how deep the coal is, open cast mining “would be impractical”, according to the minerals plan. The proposed submission states: “Any exploitation would need to be by underground mining, or possibly through unconventional methods such as underground coal gasification.”

These methods also include fracking — also called hydraulic fracturing — which involves drilling and pumping a high-pressure water mixture into underground rock to release the gas inside. Underground coal gasification is similar to fracking, and involves burning coal underground and extracting the gases produced.

The minerals plan states: “Particular consideration will be given to the location of hydrocarbon development involving hydraulic fracturing, regarding impacts on water resources, seismicity, local air quality, landscape, noise, traffic and lighting impacts.”

Any drilling would first need a petroleum and development licence from the government, planning permission from the council, and a permit from the Environment Agency.

The minerals plan states: “At present there are no petroleum exploration and development licences [in West Berkshire].

“However, this does not mean that licences will not be issued in the future or that proposals will not be forthcoming.” 

In July last year, the council declared a climate emergency and pledged to get West Berkshire carbon neutral by 2030. This means reducing emissions of carbon dioxide to net zero — the same amount is emitted as is captured.

However, most of all human-produced carbon emissions come from burning fossil fuels — like the coal and shale gas in West Berkshire which the council has described as a “future potential”. 

The proposed submission of the minerals and waste local plan was supposed to be voted on by councillors on January 9. However, it was removed from the agenda and has been delayed until a later meeting. 

Once the vote passes, the plan will go to public consultation for six weeks, and then to the government for approval. Finally, the plan should be put in place in June 2021.