Fracking appeal dismissed

The Court of Appeal has dismissed challenges from an anti-fracking group in Lancashire.

In mid-2015, an application by Cuadrilla to begin shale gas exploration was rejected on noise and visual impact grounds.

That decision was overturned by then-communities secretary Sajid Javid in late 2016.

This caused the anti-fracking group (Preston New Road Action Group) and a second challenger (Gayzer Frackman) to launch an appeal to reverse Javid’s decision, stating that he had misinterpreted planning and environmental legislation when he made his decision.

The Court of Appeal explained that its role was not to decide if that decision was “right” but whether the secretary “had committed an error of law”. On that basis, it upheld Javid’s decision.

Image credit: Alamy