Further amendments to permitted development rights for petroleum exploration site investigation and monitoring

On 5 March 2015 the government issued a consultation seeking views on proposals to amend permitted development rights for mineral exploration to enable the drilling of boreholes for groundwater monitoring for petroleum exploration. This would enable groundwater monitoring to be put in motion much earlier in the planning process, and provide early reassurance that the environmental impacts are being properly considered, in the case of potential petroleum exploration proposals. The consultation closed on 16 April 2015 and 28 responses were received.

This document provides a summary of the responses received to the individual consultation questions and the government’s response to them.

Following consideration of the representations received, we are now seeking views on further amendments to permitted development rights for petroleum exploration for the drilling of boreholes for seismic investigation and monitoring and for the location and appraisal of shallow mine workings.

These further proposals are related to the original proposals in that they should also assist in establishing a more informed baseline for future monitoring; provide information to inform any environmental statement for an environmental impact assessment; and inform the location of drilling sites for any future planning application for petroleum exploration.

In addition we are seeking views, in light of responses, to an extension of the proposed duration of the permitted development right for the drilling of boreholes for ground water monitoring in respect of petroleum exploration.