Updated:
North Yorkshire Council’s assistant chief executive, Barry Khan, said:
We can confirm that the strategic planning committee meeting which was due to be held at 1.30pm on Friday, January 30, at Scarborough Town Hall has been postponed.
The meeting was set for councillors to consider a planning application from Europa Oil and Gas which seeks permission to construct a temporary wellsite to assess the potential for natural gas at a site close to Burniston, near Scarborough.
A number of interested parties have written to the Planning Inspectorate requesting that the application be called in for determination by the Secretary of State. Yesterday (Wednesday, January 28) we received correspondence from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government asking that no decision is issued in this case while the Secretary of State considers these requests.
The decision to postpone the meeting has been made as a result of this correspondence, as well as discussions with councillors who sit on the strategic planning committee. We will not be in a position to set a new date for the committee until we receive confirmation from the Planning Inspectorate on whether the application is to be called in.
As this is a live planning application, it would be inappropriate for us to comment further at this stage.
A date has been set for councillors to consider a planning application which seeks permission to construct a temporary wellsite to assess the potential for natural gas.
The applicant, Europa Oil and Gas, has submitted an application to North Yorkshire Council proposing to install a 38-metre drilling rig and use a “proppant squeeze” method to extract gas for testing at a site close to Burniston, near Scarborough.
Councillors sitting on the authority’s strategic planning committee will consider the application and its proposals when it meets at 1.30pm on Friday, January 30 at Scarborough Town Hall.
During the meeting, there will be an opportunity for the applicant, objectors’ representative, the local member for the Scalby and the Coast division on North Yorkshire Council, and a Burniston Parish Council representative to each speak for a maximum of five minutes.
Councillors will undertake a visit to the proposed site in advance of the meeting.
North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for corporate services, Cllr Heather Phillips, whose responsibilities include planning committees, said:
We recognise that this is a planning application that has attracted significant public interest.
We have received more than 1,500 representations as part of the planning process, and we understand that many people feel strongly and passionately about the proposals that have been submitted.
As with all planning applications, I would like to reassure everyone that all representations will be carefully considered by members of the committee prior to any decision being made.
The meeting will be broadcast live on the council’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/@northyorksc
The planning application and supporting information can be viewed on North Yorkshire Council’s website at www.northyorks.gov.uk/burniston.
