Dear Mr Woods,

Thank you for your email received on 12 December 2013 requesting information about Fracking applications in Knowsley.

I have recorded your request for information under reference F2013.12.2598.

This has been passed to the relevant service and you will receive a response by 15 January 2014, as required by law.

In line with guidance published by the Information Commissioner’s Office, the council may make a charge for the provision of information – for example in order to cover the costs of postage (in line with the relevant postal charges) or charges for printing and copying (which will reflect photocopying charges levied by the council’s public libraries).

You will be informed if a fee is to be applied before information is to be provided.

Kind regards

Freedom of Information
Knowsley MBC
Archway Road
Huyton
Knowsley
Merseyside
L36 9UX

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Dear Paul of the Woods Family,

Freedom of Information request F2013.12.2598

IN response to you FOI requesting information on what is Knowsley Council's policy on making decisions on any planning applications for permission to carry out fracking" I can respond as follows:

Every planning application is considered on its own merits having regard to national and local planning policy and any other material considerations.

The Council has no specific policy in relation to fracking, as it is a relatively new development in the energy field and so far, Knowsley Council has not received any planning applications for such development.

Yours faithfully,

Freedom of Information
Knowsley MBC
Archway Road
Huyton
Knowsley
Merseyside
L36 9UX

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Dear Mr Woods,

Thank you for your email received on 17 January 2014 requesting information about Fracking.

I have recorded your request for information under reference F2014.01.2721.

This has been passed to the relevant service and you will receive a response by 14 February 2014, as required by law.

In line with guidance published by the Information Commissioner’s Office, the council may make a charge for the provision of information – for example in order to cover the costs of postage (in line with the relevant postal charges) or charges for printing and copying (which will reflect photocopying charges levied by the council’s public libraries).

You will be informed if a fee is to be applied before information is to be provided.

Kind regards

Freedom of Information
Knowsley MBC
Archway Road
Huyton
Knowsley
Merseyside
L36 9UX

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Dear Mr Woods,

Freedom of Information request F2014-01-2721

We have looked into your request for information about Fracking
applications in Knowsley, and our response is shown below.

"The Council is reviewing all its current adopted planning policies via
its emerging new Local Plan. The Local Plan is being brought forward in
several documents including amongst others:

·       a Core Strategy (which is now well advanced in its preparation)
and

·       a future "Local Plan: Site Allocations and Development Policies"
document.

These documents will progressively replace the Council's current planning
policies which are set out in the Knowsley Replacement Unitary Development
Plan (UDP) adopted in 2006.

Policy MW3 of the current UDP sets out criteria against which any planning
application(s) for on shore oil, gas or coal bed methane exploration or
extraction must currently be assessed. Although this current policy also
applies to other forms of exploration/extraction it would be relevant to
proposals which involve "fracking".  Any such proposals which are received
whilst this policy is still in place would be assessed against its
criteria which cover matters such as pollution and impact on the
surrounding area. It is proposed that policy MW3 of the current UDP will
be "saved" under the relevant legal powers until the future "Local Plan:
Site Allocations and Development Policies" is adopted in which new or
revised policies may be set out. This will not however be until the end of
2015 at the earliest.

Any future policies concerning "fracking" would be likely (in common with
other minerals planning matters) to be informed by joint working with
neighbouring authorities. They would also be informed by extensive public
consultation in accordance with the Council's Statement of Community
Involvement.  

Further information about the Council's current UDP and its emerging Local
Plan documents can be viewed by clicking [1]here."

If you need further information please see contact details below.

Kind regards,

Freedom of Information

Knowsley MBC

Archway Road

Huyton

Knowsley

Merseyside

L36 9UX

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