The Lancashire County Council Development Control Committee convened to discuss planning applications and related matters. The agenda included decisions on applications in Fylde and South Ribble Borough, as well as an update on decisions taken by the Director of Environment and Planning.

Preston New Road Exploration Site, Little Plumpton

The committee was scheduled to consider planning application LCC/2025/0018 concerning land at the Preston New Road Exploration Site, off Preston New Road, Little Plumpton. The application requests an amendment to Condition 1 of planning permission ref LCC/2023/0002, seeking to extend the time limit for completion of restoration works until 30 June 2027.

The applicant, Cuadrilla, had previously been granted permission to postpone the final restoration of the site until 30 June 2025. This new application seeks a further 24-month extension to allow for the completion of the Environmental Agency groundwater permit surrender process and subsequent site restoration works. The report pack noted that the applicant stated that the application was made:

to allow for further time for the Environmental Agency groundwater permit surrender process to be completed and then for the site restoration works to be carried out. Consequently, the site including the drilling platform, perimeter fencing and site access would remain on site for this extended period of time.

The report pack noted that 60 letters of objection and one letter of support had been received in response to the publicity exercise.

The Director of Environment and Planning recommended that planning permission be refused. The reason stated was that the extension of time would result in:

unnecessary and unacceptable harm to the rural character of the area. The proposed variation would conflict with the original intention and purpose of the condition which was imposed to ensure the lifetime of the development was strictly controlled and the land would be restored to its former condition within the approved timescale.

This was said to be contrary to Paragraph 224 of the National Planning Policy Framework¹, Policy DM2 of the Joint Lancashire Minerals and Waste Local Plan² and policies GD4 and GD7 of the Fylde Local Plan.

Other Matters

The committee was also scheduled to discuss the following:

• Minutes from the last meeting held on 15 October 2025.
• An update sheet with any relevant changes.
• A report on decisions taken on development control matters by the Director of Environment and Planning.
• The date of the next meeting.