On Monday 3 August 2026, the Environment Agency opened consultation on its draft decision to grant an environmental permit for Cloughton 2 near Burniston, North Yorkshire. Europa Oil and Gas wants to drill a test borehole to assess conventional gas at the temporary exploration site. (gov.uk)

The draft permit includes possible use of proppant squeeze, a method that injects water-based fluid and sand under pressure to improve gas flow. The agency says this is different from the shale fracking covered by England's continuing moratorium on hydraulic fracturing for shale gas. (gov.uk)

That distinction matters locally because North Yorkshire Council refused planning permission for the proposal in May 2026. Planning law asks whether development should go ahead in that place; environmental permitting asks whether the activity can meet legal standards and avoid unacceptable harm to people or the environment. (gov.uk)

The Environment Agency says specialist officers have reviewed the operator's application, supporting technical material and responses from an earlier consultation. This new round remains open until 23 September 2026, with extra time added because it falls during the summer holiday period, and Yorkshire area manager Ian Foster has urged residents to read the papers before responding. (gov.uk)

For Burniston and nearby communities, this is the stage where local knowledge can still shape the record. The most useful submissions will be the ones that engage directly with the permit papers, whether residents want to support the draft reasoning, challenge it, or argue that the risks have not been fully addressed before any final decision. (gov.uk)

The wider climate context is hard to ignore. In its July 2026 progress report, the Climate Change Committee said ministers should take more steps to cut emissions and reduce demand for fossil fuels, while the International Energy Agency has said no new long lead-time conventional oil and gas projects are needed in a global net zero pathway. Those findings do not determine the Cloughton 2 case in law, but they help explain why even a temporary exploration wellsite draws scrutiny beyond one North Yorkshire village. (theccc.org.uk)

All consultation documents are available through the Environment Agency's Citizen Space portal, and anyone unable to view them online can contact the agency on 03708 506 506. For residents weighing what this permit could mean, the key point is simple: the draft decision is not the final word, but it is a real chance to influence what happens next. (gov.uk)