Fracking-ban pledge in Wiltshire plan not sensible - council leader

The leader of Wiltshire council said a commitment to ban fracking could be overruled by the government

The leader of Wiltshire Council says opposing fracking within its local plan would not be "sensible".

Richard Clewer was urged by a Liberal Democrat councillor to register the council's opposition, after the government sought to lift the fracking moratorium imposed in 2019.

Mr Clewer said such a pledge in its strategy could be overruled by the government.

But he emphasised there were currently no fracking licences in Wiltshire.

The council leader was called to commitment to blocking fracking in Wiltshire's local plan by councillor Ian Thorn at a meeting on 11 October, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Mr Thorn said: "[It] would seem to me a very positive message.

"It is something that would reassure residents in the county."

The local plan is the council's strategy for development planning, setting out its priorities for building and demolition as well as its plans for economic development, the environment and social issues.

Mr Clewer replied: "A local plan could not prescriptively say 'no fracking' because government could overrule it and have overruled that, it is a matter of government policy."

But Mr Thorn said a commitment to no fracking in the local plan, even if it was later stripped out, would "send out a signal" about Wiltshire's determination to prevent licences being issued.

Mr Clewer said it risked turning the local plan into a political statement, and pointed out that interest in fracking was falling away in any case.

He said it would be 20 to 30 years before investors could expect to see a return, adding: "All the evidence globally is that gas demand will be falling off significantly long before that return will be realised."

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