A leaked letter from Cabinet ministers to Chancellor George Osborne has revealed government proposals to take planning decisions for fracking wells away from local councils in a bid to kick-start the development of the industry in the UK.
The 10-page plan, which was leaked to Friends of the Earth and first published in The Telegraph this weekend, proposes that commercial shale production be classified as Nationally Significant Infrastructure from as early as this year. This would take planning applications for exploration wells out of the hands of councils, transferring the responsibility to the Planning Inspectorate - the government body responsible for examining planning applications of national importance.
The move would open the way for large numbers of fracking test wells to spring up around the country. Local planning authorities have repeatedly rejected applications for fracking in their local areas, with applications the subject of intense protests from green campaigners who argue the rollout of fracking could lead to higher carbon emissions and serious local environment impacts.
In the letter, dated July 2015, ministers claim the proposal would enable a "long-term" approach to planning suitable for the large number of applications that would be seen once the UK fracking industry moves to full production stage.
However, it says the government may need to "think carefully" about whether to slow this approach until a number of exploration sites are underway, to avoid delaying the progress of current or prospective applications.
The leaked letter was signed by Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Amber Rudd, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Liz Truss, and Secretary of State for the Department for Communities and Local Government Greg Clark. The news follows moves by ministers last year to "fast-track fracking" by intervening in local planning decisions where councils are judged to be dragging their heels.
The document predicts that within 10 years Britain could have a "maturing shale gas industry", once a number of test sites have been established to convince the UK public the practice is safe. However, it says the development of the industry is dependent on favourable geology, investor sentiment and "strong, clear and consistent support from government".
Alongside the proposals to change planning policy, the letter suggests a public relations campaign will be needed to "reassure the public" that its wariness about shale gas is unfounded. "Other new industries and technologies, such as mobile telecommunications, faced similar challenges in the past and we were able to reassure the public. We must now do so with shale" it reads. "It will be important that we can demonstrate that shale can be developed safely, so this will be a key feature in our communications strategy," it continues.
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