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The Government’s proposed planning overhaul leaves the door open to new coal, oil and gas developments in England, green campaigners have warned.
Ministers’ draft new national planning policy is a “missed opportunity” to prevent new oil, coal and gas projects being approved by local authorities, Friends of the Earth argues.
Consultation ended last week for the Government’s new National Planning Policy Framework (NPFF), which sets out the Government’s planning policies for England and how these should be applied. Local councils in England have to take it into account when deciding on applications.
While the overwhelming thrust of the changes supports renewable energy, green campaigners say the Government’s current plans are not clear enough about the need to block new fossil fuel developments.
Friends of the Earth says the new draft guidance for planning authorities is at odds with Labour’s manifesto commitments to no new licences for oil, gas and coal, and to ban fracking for good.
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For example, the current draft of the NPPF continues to green-light planning authorities like councils to ‘plan positively’ for oil and gas extraction.
The document states: “When determining planning applications, great weight should be given to the benefits of mineral extraction, including to the economy.” FoE says that includes land-based oil and gas development projects.
It even allows consideration of approving coal mining in certain circumstances, despite Britain’s last coal-fired electricity plant closing this week.
Friends of the Earth is calling for ‘deep-mined coal, oil and gas (including conventional and unconventional hydrocarbons)’ to be removed from the Government’s definition of ‘mineral resources of local and national importance’.
The group is also urging ministers to remove any references to ‘encouraging’ or ‘plan[ning] positively’ for any aspect of fossil fuel exploration.
They say that despite a Labour manifesto commitment to block new gas and oil field projects, the draft planning framework leaves the door open to them.
FoE wants a clear statement that planning permission should not be granted for the extraction of coal, oil and gas in any circumstances, as it would be incompatible with the UK’s climate change commitments.
A spokesperson for the group said: “These changes would reflect the views of the world’s leading scientists, the Government’s own advisors, the Climate Change Committee, the UN and the International Energy Agency, that there can be no new fossil fuel developments if global climate targets aimed at averting the worst of climate breakdown are to be met.”
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Magnus Gallie, senior planner at Friends of the Earth, added: “If nothing changes, the Government is essentially allowing the English planning system to remain open to considering new oil, gas and coal developments.
“This is at odds both with the manifesto commitments to no new fossil fuel projects on which Labour was elected, and recent landmark legal judgments which have quashed planning permission for oil and coal projects because their full climate impact wasn’t considered. It’s time for planning policy to catch up with these developments.”
Gallie commended the drive to ramp up investment in “cheap, clean, homegrown renewables” in the planning reform proposals, including ending the effective ban on onshore wind farms.
But the campaigner added: “With the urgent need to get the UK’s climate goals back on track, including the fast-approach 2030 target, this must be matched with a clear signal to the fossil fuel industry that time is up for new oil, gas and coal development across England.”
Responding to the criticisms, a Government spokesperson told Byline Times: “Our changes to the National Planning Policy Framework demonstrate our commitment to supporting renewable energy generation, and we are clear that planning decisions must enhance the environment.”
The official spokesperson added: “We must bring an end to our dependence on fossil fuels and are taking immediate steps to invest in clean, homegrown power, to boost Britain’s energy independence, grow the economy and tackle the climate crisis.”
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The Government argues it took immediate action to put our energy supply on a more sustainable footing, by reversing the de facto ban on onshore wind within its first five days in office.
There will be more changes to national policy on planning in due course, officials say, which will be an opportunity to revise other aspects of planning on energy.
However, the Government has made clear it won’t revoke existing oil and gas licences and will manage existing fields for the entirety of their lifespan.
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero is expected to consult later this year on its plans to halt any new oil and gas licences to explore new fields.
Earlier this month, planning permission for a controversial new coal mine in Whitehaven, Cumbria was quashed after the High Court ruled that the approval was granted unlawfully, following legal challenges by Friends of the Earth and South Lakes Action on Climate.
The judgment found that the full emissions from burning the extracted coal – 99% of total emissions from the mine – were not properly considered during the planning process.
The ruling also rubbished claims from the mining company that the mine would be ‘net zero’ and wouldn’t impact the UK’s ability to meet its legally binding climate targets under the Climate Change Act.
It followed a landmark Supreme Court judgment this June – Finch v Surrey County Council – which found that planning permission for fossil fuel projects must take into account the environmental impact of burning the fossil fuels, not just extracting them.
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