International law firm Herbert Smith Freehills has advised Cuadrilla on its successful appeals against Lancashire County Council's refusal to grant planning permission for shale gas exploration works at its Preston New Road exploration site in Lancashire and related monitoring works.
The original planning applications were refused by Lancashire County Council’s Development Control Committee in June last year. In line with the Government's commitment to prioritise shale gas appeals, a five-week conjoined planning inquiry was held in February and March this year at which the appeals were considered by a Planning Inspector on behalf of the Secretary of State. Given the national significance and level of public interest in these appeals, the decision was recovered by the Secretary of State for his own determination.
The Herbert Smith Freehills Planning team was led by partner Catherine Howard and senior associates Charlotte Dyer and Emily Sykes (Australia). Catherine Howard commented: "The Secretary of State's decision to allow Cuadrilla's appeals and grant planning permission for shale gas exploration at its Preston New Road exploration site is a significant milestone for the future of the shale gas industry in the UK. After working very closely with Cuadrilla for several years, we are delighted that they are finally now able to begin works to explore and test the UK's shale potential."
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