UK methanes' application

THE CONSULTATION DEADLINE HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO DECEMBER 20TH. SO STILL TIME JOIN THE 600 PLUS WHO HAVE OBJECTED SO FAR.
visit: http://isharemaps.bathnes.gov.uk/projects/bathnes/developmentcontrol/
 ref: 12/04304/FUL

MOST NOTABLY THE FOLLOWING HAVE COMMENTED:

• Bristol City Council have said that they don't consider this application in itself to be risky, but that they would be concerned if there were to be a later application for full-scale CBM production.
  
  
• The Highways people have objected on the grounds that UK Methane have not provided enough information on the specific route and vehicles that would be used to initially transport the rig.
  
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  Richard Sermon, the Senior Archaelogy Officer for B&NES Council, is concerned about the Keynsham cemetary Roman Villa complex and the archaeological value of Durley Hill. He wants there to be an archaeological assessment and has recommended that the planning application be refused unless this happens. There is a response to his letter (on the planning website) from the Planning Officer saying that Archaeology is a material consideration, and that therefore this information will have to be found before the application can be considered.
  
  
• Natural England note that the application site is approximately 700m from Bickley Wood Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), and 1.2km from Cleeve Wood SSSI. However, they say that:
  
  "given the scale of the proposed test drilling and its distance from the above SSSIs, Natural England is satisfied that it is not likely to result in an adverse effect on these or other nationally protected sites, provided the proposal is carried out in strict accordance with the details of the application as submitted. We therefore advise your authority that SSSIs do not represent a constraint in determining this application."
  
  
  They note that the ecological assessment report stated that no rare or endangered species were found on the site. However, they want a clause to be added to the application stating that:
  
  "Should any protected species or evidence of protected species be found prior to or during the development, all works must stop immediately and an ecological consultant or the Council’s ecologist contacted for further advice before works can proceed."
  
  
  There is a previous letter from them (dated 5 Nov) on the planning website saying that there is an active BAT Hibernaculum adjacent to the proposed test site, that was constructed in mitigation when the Bypass road and then proposed ring road were constructed. I don't know whether this is relevant to what they have stated above?
  
  
  They've also said that the council should look at the biodiversity and geodiversity of local sites, the local landscape character, and at local or national biodiversity priority habitats and species. Natural England do not hold this information.
  
  
• Neither Bristol Water or Wessex Water have any plant or apparatus at the site. They don't object to this particular application. But Wessex Water have said that risk assessments may be required if any additional exploratory works were to be carried out in future.