ABSTRACT
In this chapter, there is a focus on the conflict and legal framework in relation to shale gas extraction and agriculture farmland use in the UK. The energy security and agricultural nexus in the UK is one of the most marked in the unconventional gas extraction debate. Opposition to shale gas extraction in the UK is fierce, with division along party and class lines. Interestingly, this opposition is not confined to the issue of food security, but rather the use of agricultural land for recreation and visual amenity, as well as the production of artisanal, specialised food, particularly for export. Rather than focusing solely on the regulatory framework, the chapter also analyses the interplay between the planning system, environmental protection and agricultural activities in the UK. It commences with an assessment of the value, importance and history of shale gas in the UK in examining policy, energy security and unconventional gas activities to date. It also examines the threats that shale gas extraction poses to the environment, including fracture-induced seismicity, water use, disposal and contamination, and threats from transportation of chemicals after extraction. The chapter places the extraction of shale gas within a governance framework, examining land ownership and land access, and how the UK has embraced and applied the precautionary approach in managing shale gas extraction and its impact on agricultural land. In undertaking that analysis, the recent permanent moratorium for shale gas extraction in Scotland will be considered.
