Industrial drill

Plans to drill an exploratory borehole to test for gas in coal and shale in Woodnesborough have been given the green light.

The contentious application by Coastal Oil and Gas Ltd was approved by members of the planning committee at Kent County Council today (Tuesday) despite opposition from campaigners, who fear it will lead to the controversial method of fracking.

Fracking is a process of drilling for natural shale gas involving blasting water and rock-dissolving fluids underground at high pressure to break apart rocks and release gas.

Protestors claim it causes contamination of water supplies, flamable tap water, greenhouse gas emissions, and can lead to earthquakes, as seen in Blackpool earlier this year where fracking was suspended after two earth tremors occurred.

Welsh company Coastal Oil and Gas Ltd insists it only wants to use the land by the A257 and A256, north of Woodnesborough, between Deal and Sandwich, to drill an exploratory borehole to test for gas, and not to start fracking.

Kent Green Party and campaign group Deal With It strongly opposed the application. Fracking is banned in South Africa and France due to the impacts.