Update Feb 2016 – Cuadrilla have successfully appealed the planning decision on this site. Further work on the site will depend upon the outcome of applications for Preston New Road & Roseacre Wood some time after 4th July 2016.
Singleton is a conservation village surrounded by beautiful Fylde farmland well loved by cyclists, horse riders and visitors. In 2010, Cuadrilla were granted permission to drill and test for Hydrocarbons on land owned by The Richard Dumbreck Trust near the village of Singleton. The trust was set up specifically for the benefit of the villagers of Singleton. However the villagers were not consulted by the Trust with regards to the leasing of trust land to the fracking industry.
In the early days most villagers were ignorant of the impacts and implications of the shale gas industry so it is no surprise that the initial application was passed with little dissent. This established a precedent for industrial activity on the site. The well was drilled in 2011 and Cuadrilla breached their planning conditions by drilling beyond the six weeks specified. However the site was not fracked as Cuadrilla ceased all operations after the earthquakes triggered by activity at their nearby Preese Hall site.
Residents came together to form Singleton Against a Fracked Environment (SAFE) and continue to resist the collusion between the Trust that owns the land and frackers Cuadrilla Resources.
In February 2015 Cuadrilla’s planning application to extend work at the Grange Road site was refused by Lancashire County Council. Read more…