SI 2016/384 The Onshore Hydraulic Fracturing (Protected Areas) Regulations 2016 (link)
These Regulations define the terms “protected groundwater source areas” and “other protected areas” for the purposes of section 4A of the Petroleum Act 1998 (link).
Sections 4A and 4B of the 1998 Act were recently inserted into the Petroleum Act 1998 by the Infrastructure Act 2015 (link) and set out certain requirements and safeguards in relation to onshore hydraulic fracturing in England and Wales. Section 4A sets out conditions which must be met before the Secretary of State may issue a hydraulic fracturing consent. Specifically, conditions 5 and 6 provide that associated hydraulic fracturing is not to take place in “protected groundwater source areas” or “other protected areas”. These Regulations provide definitions of both “protected groundwater source areas” and “other protected areas”.
Source: HMSO