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Balcombe oil drilling plans 'went unnoticed' at meeting Balcombe oil drilling plans 'went unnoticed' at meeting
(35 minutes later)
Details have emerged of a parish council meeting where plans to carry out test drilling in Sussex by energy firm Cuadrilla were overlooked.Details have emerged of a parish council meeting where plans to carry out test drilling in Sussex by energy firm Cuadrilla were overlooked.
BBC South East Today has learned how a letter informing the parish council of the proposals was not recognised as a planning application.BBC South East Today has learned how a letter informing the parish council of the proposals was not recognised as a planning application.
Balcombe Parish Council did not discuss the plans before telling West Sussex council it had no objections.Balcombe Parish Council did not discuss the plans before telling West Sussex council it had no objections.
The county council later approved plans for oil exploration at Balcombe.The county council later approved plans for oil exploration at Balcombe.
Huge protests have been held at the drilling site amid fears of fracking, with more than a thousand people taking part in a Reclaim the Power camp in August.Huge protests have been held at the drilling site amid fears of fracking, with more than a thousand people taking part in a Reclaim the Power camp in August.
The site is owned by parish councillor Simon Greenwood.The site is owned by parish councillor Simon Greenwood.
'Recorded as correspondence''Recorded as correspondence'
Parish council vice-chairman Rodney Saunders said members received the application in 2010 but did not discuss its detailed contents and did not recognise its significance.Parish council vice-chairman Rodney Saunders said members received the application in 2010 but did not discuss its detailed contents and did not recognise its significance.
He said: "We didn't, to be honest, recognise it because it didn't come from the usual source or in the usual format that planning applications come to us for consideration.He said: "We didn't, to be honest, recognise it because it didn't come from the usual source or in the usual format that planning applications come to us for consideration.
"It was recorded as incoming correspondence and appeared in what we call our correspondence box.""It was recorded as incoming correspondence and appeared in what we call our correspondence box."
He added: "With the wisdom of hindsight, if we had known then what we know now, we should have scrutinised that application with very considerable care."He added: "With the wisdom of hindsight, if we had known then what we know now, we should have scrutinised that application with very considerable care."
But he said the issue was raised at the meeting by Mr Greenwood, who owns the 3,500-acre Balcombe Estate where Cuadrilla wanted to drill.But he said the issue was raised at the meeting by Mr Greenwood, who owns the 3,500-acre Balcombe Estate where Cuadrilla wanted to drill.
Mr Saunders said: "One of the items on our standard agenda is dealing with correspondence and there is a box in the middle of the table with all items of correspondence in it, and we've all had advance warning of what's in the box.Mr Saunders said: "One of the items on our standard agenda is dealing with correspondence and there is a box in the middle of the table with all items of correspondence in it, and we've all had advance warning of what's in the box.
"It was under that item that he drew our attention to this particular letter which had not - and I repeat - which we had not really recognised as a consultation on planning.""It was under that item that he drew our attention to this particular letter which had not - and I repeat - which we had not really recognised as a consultation on planning."
'Moral responsibility'
When asked if Mr Greenwood did enough to declare his interest, Mr Saunders said: "He could have said he cannot be present when this is discussed.
"Had he done so I suppose this might have alerted us to the fact that this was something more significant than we realised at the time."
Experts said Mr Greenwood had no obligation to do this.
Mr Greenwood declined to be interviewed by the BBC but his land agent said: "In the context of this it was a notification of an application to the county council which wasn't on the agenda and in fact no comment would have been made at all."Mr Greenwood declined to be interviewed by the BBC but his land agent said: "In the context of this it was a notification of an application to the county council which wasn't on the agenda and in fact no comment would have been made at all."
He added: "Nor would anyone in the parish council have noticed it was happening had Mr Greenwood not actually said at the end of the meeting 'by the way you ought to look at this letter from the county council because it refers to something happening on my land which the parish council ought to be aware of'."He added: "Nor would anyone in the parish council have noticed it was happening had Mr Greenwood not actually said at the end of the meeting 'by the way you ought to look at this letter from the county council because it refers to something happening on my land which the parish council ought to be aware of'."
Local government expert Professor Colin Copus, from Leicester's De Montfort University, said: "When an application comes to the parish you would expect all members, all elected members to be made aware of that application.Local government expert Professor Colin Copus, from Leicester's De Montfort University, said: "When an application comes to the parish you would expect all members, all elected members to be made aware of that application.
"Now it could be a fairly significant application as we've got in this case."Now it could be a fairly significant application as we've got in this case.
"What a parish does or what maybe their moral responsibility should be, shall we say, is to make sure that members are aware that that application has come in and to give them an opportunity to cast their judgement on it.""What a parish does or what maybe their moral responsibility should be, shall we say, is to make sure that members are aware that that application has come in and to give them an opportunity to cast their judgement on it."
The parish council has apologised for failing to raise any objections and has also made public their opposition to fracking.The parish council has apologised for failing to raise any objections and has also made public their opposition to fracking.
West Sussex County Council has confirmed the planning application and supporting documents were sent in full to the parish council.West Sussex County Council has confirmed the planning application and supporting documents were sent in full to the parish council.