Fracking under our houses?

An e-mail from Margaret McDougall MSP to a member of the Arran Greens follows up the question of whether ‘mineral access rights’ may allow gas drilling to take place underneath homes in Scotland. Sarah Boyack MSP has written to both Fergus Ewing MSP and Matthew Hancock MP regarding plans from the UK Government to allow fracking to take place underneath private houses without written permission.

Planning permission for ‘unconventional gas development’ rests with the Scottish planning authorities and ultimately with the Scottish government – but an anomaly over mineral access rights exists, and this needs to be clarified. Shadow Energy Minister Tom Greatrex MP has made a submission to the Smith Commission, and intends to submit amendments to the Infrastructure Bill this week calling for the question of fracking under Scottish homes to be devolved to the Scottish parliament.