The Development Control Committee of Lancashire County Council met on Thursday, 4th December 2025, to discuss planning applications. The committee approved an extension for restoration works at the Preston New Road Exploration Site and confirmed the minutes from their previous meeting.

Preston New Road Exploration Site Restoration Extension

The committee considered an application to amend condition 1 of planning permission LCC/2023/0002, which would extend the time limit for the completion of restoration works at the Preston New Road Exploration Site in Little Plumpton until 30th June 2027.

The original planning permission for hydrocarbon exploration at this site was granted in 2016, with a requirement for all drilling, testing, and restoration to be completed within 75 months of commencement. This meant restoration should have been completed by July 2023. A previous extension was granted in June 2023, postponing the restoration deadline to 30th June 2025.

The applicant, Cuadrilla, requested a further two-year extension, citing the need for a 12-month groundwater monitoring period to ensure the integrity of the well plugging and abandonment works, followed by the Environment Agency's permit surrender process and the final restoration. Cuadrilla stated that the plugging and abandonment works were only completed in Spring 2025 due to delays in procuring a rig and well contractor.

During the meeting, Councillor John Singleton JP expressed concerns about the lack of progress and enforcement, noting that this was the second extension request. He urged the committee to reduce the extension to 18 months and implement enforcement penalties. Westby with Plumptons Parish Council also raised strong objections, stating that the applicant had ample time and that the site should be returned to its natural state immediately. Many residents also objected, fearing that the extension was a delaying tactic to potentially restart fracking activities and that the continued presence of the site was detrimental to the rural landscape.

Despite these objections, the committee approved the recommendation to extend the time limit for restoration works until 30th June 2027. The decision was made to allow for the necessary environmental monitoring and permit surrender process to be completed, acknowledging that these steps were required before full site restoration could commence.

Minutes of the Last Meeting

The committee also confirmed the minutes of their previous meeting held on 15th October 2025.