InfraStrata gets to stay on at Woodburn Forest - again

The company behind the controversial exploratory drill at Woodburn Forest has been granted a second grace period to carry out clean-up work.

InfraStrata was originally due to reinstate and exit the borehole site by August 8 but was granted an extension to August 22 by Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, which said this was due to the July holidays.

Now the company has been granted another extension on the grounds of wet weather and will not have to restore the site until September 16.

Angry campaigners opposed to the drilling operation, which is close to a reservoir that supplies drinking water to hundreds of homes in Belfast and east Antrim, have called on Infrastructure MInister Chris Hazzard to now step in.

InfraStrata was not required to apply for planning permission to drill a borehole at the forest site but instead carried out the work under permitted development rights.

In June the consortium led by InfraStrata said it was pulling out of the controversial project after no oil or gas were found.

Stop The Drill said the permitted development rights limited the development period to four months.

Yesterday, a spokesman for Mid and East Antrim Borough Council said: “Due to wet weather conditions an extension has been granted for the completion of site restoration works until Friday 16 September 2016.”

A spokesperson for Stop the Drill said the law states that any extension to the 28-day window for permitted development is required to be agreed before the grant of Permitted Development Rights (PDR).

“Otherwise, the legislation is open to abuse, where PDR could be deliberately employed as a guise to avoid applying for planning permission, negating public consultation, expensive fee, etc. in the knowledge that the condition of 28 days could never have been complied with and in the hope that it will be sorted retrospectively,” she said.  

”Indeed, the planners in making the EA Determination, upon which the grant of PDR was predicated, explicitly state that the ‘The development is of short duration; a 10 week site preparation, 1 month drilling period and 1 month restoration’.

“We have argued from the outset that the Woodburn exploration should not have been granted PDR for numerous very obvious reasons. This blatant breach of the 28 day rule further vindicates our strenuous effort over the past two years to have the decision overturned.

“We look forward to the Judicial Review case against Mid and East Antrim Council coming before the High Courts in September.

“Minister Hazzard stated during the Assembly debate on the 6th June 2016: ‘As a result, I have decided to propose a change to the current legislation, policy and procedures in relation to mineral exploration. I propose to remove permitted development rights for oil and gas exploration. In the future, under my proposals, exploration for oil and gas will require the submission of a planning application and will be subject to the full rigours of the planning process, including environmental impact assessments (EIA) and public consultation. I intend to consult on the legislative change shortly.’

“Stop the Drill is calling for Minister Hazzard to commence the process for legislative change now.”