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Councillors have been recommended to grant approval for Coastal Oil and Gas Limited to drill for unconventional gas reserves to the north of Llantrisant.

The company already holds licences for several fracking sites throughout South Wales and operates the Llandow Industrial Estate site in the Vale of Glamorgan.

Fracking – or hydraulic fracturing – involves experts drilling down into shale rock to find gas reserves.

The method has ignited opposition from environmental campaigners, who say it has been linked to minor earthquakes around Blackpool.

Rhondda Cynon Taf council says this latest application does not involve ground stimulation or directional drilling.

Should the planning permission be given the green light, the “exploratory borehole” will be drilled in the Westerphalian and Namurian strata in the field west of Pantybrad Road, Llantrisant.

Mick Antoniw, Assembly Member for Pontypridd, has voiced concerns over fracking.

He said: “I have raised the issue of exploitation of unconventional gas reserves in Llantrisant area with the Minister for Natural Resources and food to seek assurances with regard to public safety.

“Drilling is a different technology to fracking and does not have the same hazards.

“At present I am unconvinced that fracking is safe and I would not support such a development until there is far more investigation into the associated risks.”

Planning consent has been submitted for a 12-month period, which will include eight weeks of drilling and 36 weeks of gas testing.

If it is deemed successful, the developers say they will submit an additional planning application for a longer term “pilot” production.

It is a continuation of the applicant’s testing programme across South Wales, Bristol, Somerset and Kent.

A total of 22 letters and emails of objection have been received by Rhondda Cynon Taf council.

The Royal Mint, Rhondda Cynon Taf Green Party and the Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales (CPRW) have all voiced concerns.

They claim the work could lead to ground water contamination, pollution, noise nuisance and disturbance to wildlife.

Vin Wijeratne, Director of Finance, The Royal Mint, said: “The Royal Mint is a COMAH (The Control of Major Accident Hazards) site. As a result we have increased responsibilities to ensure that we are aware of and manage all risks to which we may be exposed.

“We treat our responsibilities very seriously and so we raised an objection to the application for exploratory drilling to the north of our premises to ensure our concerns are taken into account.”

Some also claim there has been a lack of community engagement leading up to the application, which goes before RCT Council’s Development Control Committee today (Wednesday).

It will only go ahead if the developers submit a detailed working method statement for the drilling operation, which needs to include methods to minimise the risk of the loss of drilling fluid to ground water.

Coastal Oil and Gas Limited will also have to create a clear scheme for the storage of their oils, fuels and chemicals.

Alun Davies, The Minister for Natural Resources and Food, said the Welsh Government are taking a “precautionary approach” to the shale extraction method.

He said: “We support a robust regulatory regime for unconventional gas exploitation, to ensure the highest standards of public safety and environmental protection.

“Furthermore, any exploratory operations will also be subject to strict monitoring and scrutiny by the relevant planning authority, as well as by the regulatory bodies that are responsible for public health and environmental protection, including the Health and Safety Executive and Natural Resources Wales.

“To ensure that Welsh interests are fully represented as this policy area develops, my officials are already in regular discussion with the UK Government’s Office of Unconventional Gas and Oil, which has been established to promote the safe and environmentally sound recovery of the UK’s unconventional gas and oil reserves.”