Meeting documents

Apologies for absence were received from Steve Butler, Barrie Cooper, Ian Gardner, Mervyn Jeffery, Margaret Phipps, Peter Richardson and David Walsh.

Councillors are required to comply with the requirements of the Localism Act 2011 regarding disclosable pecuniary interests.

§     Check if there is an item of business on this agenda in which the member or other relevant person has a disclosable pecuniary interest.

§     Check that the interest has been notified to the Monitoring Officer (in writing) and entered in the Register (if not this must be done on the form available from the clerk within 28 days).

§     Disclose the interest at the meeting (in accordance with the County Council’s Code of Conduct) and in the absence of a dispensation to speak and/or vote, withdraw from any consideration of the item.

The Register of Interests is available on Dorsetforyou.com and the list of disclosable pecuniary interests is set out on the reverse of the form.

There were no declarations by members of disclosable pecuniary interests under the Code of Conduct.

The Chairman, Cllr David Jones, declared that as he had not attended the site visit regarding the Wytch Farm, Wareham and Kimmeridge Oilfields at minute 62 he would not take part in the meeting for the item.  He withdrew from the meeting for the item and observed the discussion from the public gallery. The Vice-Chairman, Pauline Batstone, chaired the item in the Chairman’s absence.

To confirm and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 18 August 2016.

The minutes of the meeting held on 18 August 2016 were confirmed and signed.

(a)          Public Speaking

(b)          Petitions

To consider a report by the Service Director - Economy.

(Note: The Chairman, Cllr David Jones, declared that as he had not attended the site visit regarding the Wytch Farm, Wareham and Kimmeridge Oilfields at minute 62 he would not take part in the meeting for the item.  He withdrew from the meeting for the item and observed the discussion from the public gallery. The Vice-Chairman, Pauline Batstone, chaired the item in the Chairman’s absence.)

The Committee considered a report by the Service Director – Economy in relation to the progress with the determination of 39 planning applications (no’s 6/2012/0571-0609) to enable the extension of the operational life of the oilfield development at Wytch Farm, Wareham and Kimmeridge Oilfields to 2037 following the resolution of the Planning Committee on 6 September 2013.  A separate report would be considered by the Cabinet at its meeting on 28 September 2016.

Members received a detailed summary of the report which explained the progress of the applications to date, and in particular the circumstances since the conditional resolution to approve the applications, and sought agreement for revised financial security arrangements and terms for the required Section 106 agreement regarding the decommissioning, restoration and landscaping required in relation to the site.  Reference was made to the changes within the heads of terms for the Section 106 agreement which meant that BP would no longer guarantee to decommission and restoration of the site and this would now be guaranteed by Perenco SA as the parent company of Perenco UK.  A Decommissioning Security Deed would act like an insurance policy if Perenco did not, or was unable to, undertake the decommissioning and restoration and would provide access for the Council to funds to complete the work.  Members noted that the detailed DSD and Section 106 Agreement were nearing completion.  It was also confirmed that environmental and planning assessments agreed in 2013, in particular the Appropriate Assessment under the Habitat Regulations, were still sound.

The Committee considered the following matters in relation to the applications:

Detail of the DSD and Section 106 Agreement  Clarification was sought regarding the completion of the Section 106 Agreement, to which it was confirmed that planning permission was routinely sought based on heads of terms and the details would be finalised after the decision was taken by Committee.

Decommission and Restoration Fund  Questions were asked in respect of the provision of financial security for  110% of the estimated costs of oilfield decommissioning, restoration and aftercare.  It was explained that the level of funding was due to the risk factor associated with the estimate of the final cost at this stage although there was an annual assessment of the cost of decommissioning and restoration.  A further risk was associated with the movement of financial guarantee from BP to Perenco SA. 

Landscape Restoration Standards  Members were informed that the standard of the decommissioning and restoration plans had met at least the same standard as the former plan agreed with BP, as the previous operator.  Following Perenco’s takeover of the sites more detailed restoration schemes had  ...  view the full minutes text for item 62.

To consider a report by the Service Director – Economy.

It was noted that with the permission of the Chairman, the item had been deferred and would be reported back to the Committee in due course.

To consider a report by the Service Director – Economy.

It was noted that with the permission of the Chairman, the item had been deferred and would be reported back to the Committee in due course.

To answer any questions received in writing by the Chief Executive by not later than 10.00am on Monday 12 September 2016.

No questions were received from members under Standing Order 20(2).