The Trust believes that the Local Plan should set out Warwick District Council's position on the recovery of unconventional gas and oil reserves through the use of processes such as Fracking and Underground Coal Gasification.

The UK Government has outlined its in-principle support of utilising the UKs unconventional gas and oil reserves and has set up the Office of Unconventional Gas and Oil (OUGO) to 'promote the safe, responsible, and environmentally sound recovery' of these resources. The Government's position will inevitably have consequences for wildlife and local communities as exploration of available resources is undertaken and once commercially viable proposals are established.

At present, the Trust is unaware of any proposals to extract shale gas using the more publicised use of Fracking. However this current lack of activity does not appear to preclude the risk that exploration may be proposed within the lifetime of the Local Plan. A more immediate issue for Warwick District is the less publicised Underground Coal Gasification (UCG), which differs from Fracking but still requires unconventional forms of recovery and could likewise have significant impacts on the district's wildlife and local communities.

As of the date of this consultation, a licence from the Coal Authority is being sought by Cluff Natural Resources to begin exploration of the coal reserves to the east of the district around Bubbenhall for the purposes of UCG. If this licence is granted, the threat of a planning application for exploratory investigations being submitted to Warwickshire County Council would seem increasingly likely. It is therefore important for Warwick District Council, as one of the affected authorities, to set out its position on the process and outline how it will work with the County Council to get the best possible outcome for people and wildlife in accordance with the strategic objectives of the local plan.

Good idea

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