The coal bearing strata in the UK are shown in the figure below and the Chew Valley is located in the Bristol-Somerset Coalfield.
Coal Bearing Strata (British Geological Survey/DECC)
Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2013
The previous PEDL licence holder, Geomet, suggested in 1999 that two exploration bore holes should be drilled: “1 km east of Chew Magna” and “1.5 kn east if Hinton Blewett”. The sites are shown as red dots on the figure below. Note that these tests were proposed but were not made, however it goes to show how local the issue may become. From this map it is estimated that one test would have been near Sandy Lane within Chew Magna parish, whilst the other would have been in farmland to the south of the quarry at Hinton Blewett.
Bristol-Somerset Coalfield, BGS/DECC 2010
The location of the coalfield in relation to the PEDL licenses and geographic features is shown below.
Bristol-Somerset Coal Field / PEDL Licenses
Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2013
The communities which fall both within the coalfield and within the PEDL licenses and which could therefore be directly impacted by CBM activity are as follows:
| Belluton |
| Bishop Sutton |
| Bishopsworth |
| Bitton |
| Blagdon |
| Burnett |
| Butcombe |
| Camerton |
| Carlingcott |
| Charlton |
| Chelwood |
| Chew Magna |
| Chew Stoke |
| Chewton Keynsham |
| Chewton Mendip |
| Chilcompton |
| Clandown |
| Clutton |
| Coleford |
| Compton Dando |
| Compton Martin |
| Corston |
| Dundry |
| East Harptree |
| Emborough |
| Farmborough |
| Farrington Gurney |
| Gurney Slade |
| Hallatrow |
| High Littleton |
| Hinton Blewett |
| Holcombe |
| Hunstrete |
| KEYNSHAM |
| Kilmersdon |
| Litton |
| Marksbury |
| MIDSOMER NORTON |
| Nempnett Thrubwell |
| Nettlebridge |
| North Wick |
| North Widcombe |
| Norton Hawkfield |
| Norton Malreward |
| Paulton |
| Pensford |
| Priston |
| Queen Charlton |
| RADSTOCK |
| Regil |
| Saltford |
| South Widcombe |
| Stanton Drew |
| Stanton Prior |
| Stanton Wick |
| Ston Easton |
| Stowey |
| Stratton-on-the-Fosse |
| Swineford |
| Temple Cloud |
| Timsbury |
| Upton Cheyney |
| West Harptree |
| Whitchurch |
Frack Free Chew Valley, Somerset 