Fracking site clear-up extensions anger neighbour

Susan Halliday said she did not feel campaigners had "won until it's all completely gone"

A woman who lives across the road from a former fracking site has said she is "frustrated" the energy firm responsible for the fracking has applied for more time to restore the site to farmland.

Cuadrilla Resources has asked for a two-year extension to rehabilitate the Preston New Road drilling site in Little Plumpton, Fylde, claiming the delay re-establishing the farmland is due to monitoring required by the Environment Agency.

However, local resident Susan Halliday said the work should have been completed some time ago, adding: "They have already had one two-year extension – how do we know they won't be coming back again in two years' time?"

The BBC has contacted Cuadrilla for comment.

Cuadrilla has applied to Lancashire County Council for an extension to planning permission, which ran out in June.

A previous extension was granted in 2023.

The company said while work, including the plugging and capping of wells, had taken place, monitoring by the Environment Agency meant the restoration may not be completed before summer 2027.

However, Ms Halliday said that was "frustrating because I don't feel we have won until it's all completely gone".

"The fence is still in place," she said.

"Until that is taken away, it is still not a greenfield site."

The firm said it needed two more years to comply with Environment Agency monitoring

Her views were echoed by Josh Roberts, Lancashire County Council cabinet member for rural affairs, the environment and communities.

"We want the site fully restored without further delays – progress has been far too slow," he said.

"Any extensions need to be backed by solid reasons and not excuses."

The councillor, who is part of the new Reform-led council, added: "We will look to see if everything on the site needs to stay for another two years, like fencing."

He said that although Reform's national policy supports fracking, fracking "has its place, but not everywhere".

He said the geology of sites in Lancashire made subsidence and water contamination a risk.

A consultation has opened on Cuadrilla's application.