Agenda item

The Committee considered a report inviting them to confirm their agreement of the reason for refusal for a side-track drilling operation, associated testing, and long-term oil production at Land off High Street, Biscathorpe as agreed at the 1 November 2021 meeting of the Planning and Regulation Committee.

The Head of Planning guided members through the report and set out the main issues to be considered in the determination of the application. The report recommended that, in line with the Committee’s resolution to refuse N/059/00510/21 at the 1 November 2021 meeting, the Committee confirm its reason for refusal in line with that cited within the report. The Head of Planning noted that, during the debate on 1 November meeting, the Committee cited noise as a potential reason for refusal. He indicated that they may want to reconsider inclusion of noise as grounds for refusal after further consideration suggested it may be difficult to justify.

The Committee didn’t feel that the impact to noise was critical to their objection to the proposal and that the other reasons cited were sufficient. 

On a motion proposed by Councillor I G Fleetwood and seconded by Councillor Mrs A M Austin, it was:

RESOLVED (unanimous)

That it be confirmed that planning permission be refused for the reason set out below:

‘The lighting associated with Phase 1 drilling and Phase 2 Extended Well Testing will potentially cause a significant adverse impact on the character of the AONB due to glare. Whilst the period for Phase1 is defined for eight weeks no such definitive timescale is set out for Phase 2. Each area of interest from the formation will need to be tested but there is no certainty how many testing periods will be required. It is stated that the testing phase could take up to three months. Consequently, a number of periods of testing will result in many months of adverse impact due to illumination 24 hours a day of intrusive lighting being harmful to the character and appearance of the AONB location.

The introduction of extended periods of external lighting into this largely unlit protected landscape would have an adverse impact on the character of this special landscape that cannot be satisfactorily mitigated. This would draw attention to the development and create a lit visual intrusion into this largely dark sky location.

The public benefits of the development do not outweigh the identified harm to the character of the Wolds AONB and the County Council as Minerals Planning Authority do not consider it is possible to mitigate these impacts to an acceptable level.

The development does not meet the requirements of the third criteria of Policy DM5 with respect to visual impact, illumination and noise and is therefore contrary to Policy DM5 and DM1 of CSDMP. It is also contrary to the requirements of Policies SP10 and SP23 of the East Lindsey Local Plan (2018) due to adverse impacts on the amenity residents could reasonably expect to enjoy and the character of the AONB through illumination, visual impact, and noise.’