Just in case you haven’t heard yet (you may well not have heard because the media have barely mentioned it), the Government has responded to the “Underground Drilling Access” Consultation.

40,647 of us replied to DECC.  Only 82 responses (mainly by oil industry insiders) were in favour of the proposed changes to the trespass law to allow fracking under our property without our consent.  99.8% of us were opposed to the changes.

You can read the Government’s response here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/358521/Government_Response_FINAL.pdf
The Government’s view is that not one of the 40,565 of us who replied raised any single point which would make them change their decision to press ahead with their proposed changes to the trespass law, whereas the 82 people who were in favour of it raised some very good points about why it is needed.

So they will be forging ahead with these changes as soon as possible. They’ve also decided that the proposed changes should now apply also to Coalbed Methane Extraction even though that was not included in the consultation.

I think our first step in continuing our opposition to these undemocratic changes must be to try to raise awareness amongst people we know and also to bombard our own MPs to let them know that we do not want this.  Tessa Munt claims to be against this change (she wrote a very good letter about it encouraging us all to respond to the consultation).  I will write to her asking what she proposes to do now that the Government has decided to ignore what 99.8% of respondents have said.  Perhaps we should all do the same. I would be keen to hear your ideas about what other actions we could take.

Our awareness raising event in Wells on 21 September went well.  Around 160 people put dots on the Frackometer to show their feelings about fracking.  25 were 100% in favour, 80+ were 100% against and the rest said that they didn’t know enough to express an opinion about it yet.  We had good discussions about their questions about fracking.  Most people were concerned about contamination of the water, the geology of the Mendips, the impact of the infrastructure and our health.  Our next step is to try to get answers to specific questions from people on either side of the debate.  I’ll keep you posted about any answers we get….

The Government continues to put those in sympathy with fracking into positions of power – John Manzoni (an ex BP  exec who was fined in the US for breaching fracking regulations) has just been appointed CEO of the Civil Service.  His appointment seems to have been engineered by Lord Browne.  The new head of the Environment Agency, which will be responsible for regulating fracking to a large extent, is Philip Dilley, who was previously chairman of Arup’s and involved in advising Cuadrilla.

All very depressing, but there is some good news – UK Methane – the fracking company which holds the PEDL 227 licence in Somerset has just had it’s planning application in Neath rejected by the Council. Lets hope Somerset County Council will stand up to the frackers too.

In case anyone you know hasn’t already signed this:

https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/stop-fracking-in-somerset

Lancashire County Council planning committee today (23 September) granted permission to shale gas company Cuadrilla for two planning applications – regarding ‘pressure monitoring’ at the Becconsall site in West Lancs, and an extension for the time period to restore the site at Preese Hall, Fylde.

Representatives of Ribble Estuary Against Fracking and Friends of the Earth spoke at the planning committee to express concerns including that:

•      A full Habitats Regulation Assessment should be carried out at the Becconsall site which is only 650m from the Ribble Estuary, an internationally protected site for wintering birds

•      Cuadrilla provided a lack of information on the key activities at the Becconsall site including the means of perforating the well, the pressure that will be reached and risks to groundwater as a result

•      Uncertainty remains regarding the steps taken to inspect the Becconsall well in the three years since it was drilled

•      The Becconsall site should have been restored to agricultural use by September 2012 according to the original application

•      Regarding Preese Hall, it is not clear that well integrity issues encountered at the site have been addressed and that the Healthy and Safety Executive (HSE) has inspected the site

•      Cuadrilla has failed to meet three time conditions by which it should have restored the site back to agricultural use, and the council should therefore take enforcement action.

Committee members approved the testing at the Becconsall site, and the time extension for restoration of Preese Hall, but raised major concerns regarding Cuadrilla’s operations and repeatedly breaking planning conditions. Cuadrilla also withdrew an application yesterday (22 September) for the Becconsall site that was connected to fracking.

John Powney from Ribble Estuary Against Fracking said:
“We are disappointed that the Committee granted permission for testing but are very pleased that there will be no fracking in the future at the site near the Ribble Estuary.

“Cuadrilla withdrew an application connecting them to fracking at the eleventh hour, following a challenge from our legal team. If they try to frack the site in future, we will be using the law to protect the people of Lancashire from this unwanted, unnecessary and dangerous industry.”

Helen Rimmer, North West Campaigner at Friends of the Earth said:
“We are concerned that further testing has been allowed at such a highly sensitive site for ecology, but we are pleased the Councillors sent a strong message to Cuadrilla that breaching planning conditions is completely unacceptable.

“Cuadrilla’s record in Lancashire is appalling, and considering the high risk nature of operations and environmental concerns, the current applications to frack in the Fylde must be turned down.”

Bob Dennett of Residents Action on Fylde Fracking said:
“Our concern is that it is unclear whether the Health and Safety Executive have visited the Preese Hall site to verify that well integrity problems have been resolved, and they are relying on self-regulation by the operator. We are pleased that the Cabinet member for the environment publicly recognised the weaknesses in the regulatory framework”.

Responding to discussion amongst Committee members at the meeting on enforcement action against Cuadrilla due to breaching planning conditions at the Preese Hall site, Councillor John Hodson of West Lancs Borough Council said:

“Local authorities have the powers in situations where there is a hazard to the public, to enter land for the purposes of carrying out or arranging remedial works with costs charged to the landowner. This should raise questions in many farmers minds as to the extent of the liability they are exposed to.”

Lancashire County Council are due to consider the two applications for major fracking sites in the Fylde – at Preston New Road and Roseacre – in November this year.

   Just a few pictures of our Dog Walk which was enjoyed by all.

Many thanks to Jane for the excellent organisation.

Please watch out for details of the next one .

UKOOG, the representative body for the UK Onshore Oil and Gas industry, has launched a new initiative aimed at encouraging people to ask questions about natural gas from shale.
‘Let’s talk about shale’ is borne out of the recognition that the general public are subjected to a stream of information from a range of sources and much of this information is contradictory. ‘Let’s talk about shale’ will give people the chance to ask the questions they would like to have answered.

Read full Article Here

Safe fracking will cut energy bills and create wealth without ruining precious countryside, writes David Cameron

Read Full report

Even a High Court judge at Manchester Civil Justice Centre smiled as Cuadrilla and fellow claimants tried to ban everyone in the world who might be opposed to fracking from going to land in Little Plumpton – or `encouraging or instructing’ anyone to do so via social media. 

The injunction to try and stop anti-fracking protests in Lancashire, if applied, could have dire consequences for the upcoming fight against fracking in Salford.

Full details here

On 17th. August we showed our solidarity with the Reclaim the Power march from South Pier to The Tower.

There were upwards of 400 people, of all ages for a FRACK FREE LANCASHIRE

Another week, another fracking fiasco. The Government has just published a report on the likely effects of the drilling on Britain’s countryside communities – including its possible impact on house prices – that is so heavily redacted it might instead be devoted to a military assessment of options for intervention in Iraq.

Read full story here:

A very interesting article – unfortunately the writer comes down with a luke-warm affirmation of fracking in this area right at the end and completely misses the fact that householders in the USA receive sizeable payouts for the activity on their land.

Subject: Environmental protection

Scientists for Global Responsibility (SGR) and the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) have today published a report which reviews current evidence across a number of issues associated with shale gas extraction by hydraulic fracturing (fracking). These include environmental and public health aspects and socio-economic considerations.

Importantly, the report is an independent assessment which draws heavily on academic research

Read Here