Road closed to Rathlin Energy’s West Newton oil and gas site in East Yorkshire, 10 June 2019. Photo: used with the owner’s consent
East Yorkshire council has closed the road to Rathlin Energy’s oil and gas exploration site at West Newton.
Formal notice of road closure outside Rathlin Energy’s West Newton exploration site, 10 June 2019.
Police officers installed fencing across Piper’s Lane at about 3pm this afternoon.
A formal notice from the council, dated today, said the closure was to prevent danger to the public or damage to the road.
It also applied to Fosham Road and sections of three footpaths totalling about 100m, the notice said.
The council said:
“The reason for the closure is because the Council is satisfied that the traffic on the road should be so restricted because works are being executed on or near the road and because of the likelihood of danger to the public, or of serious damage to the road, which is not attributable to such works.”
The road would be open at all times for pedestrians, the emergency services and vehicles needing access to properties directly affected, the notice said.
The closure would continue for a period of 21 days.
Road closure and protest at Rathlin Energy’s West Newton well site, 10 June 2019. Photo: used with the owner’s consent
The West Newton has been subject to a series of recent protests.
Earlier, today, three people blocked the road by locking themselves to a device made of concrete and steel.
The protest began at 4am and the campaigners have said they would remain for as long as they could.
In a statement this evening, they complained that they had been denied the right to delay lorries delivering to the site through the practice of “slow walking”.
Three person lock-on protest outside Rathlin Energy’s oil and gas site at West Newton, East Yorkshire, 10 June 2019. Photo: used with the owner’s consent
One of the three said:
“When the government declare a climate emergency and then act like nothing is happening, we have to act, don’t we?
“I have been denied my lawful rights to slow this industry down by peaceful means and I have witnessed biased policing that supports industry not community.
“So what can be more peaceful than sitting here and not being able to be moved?”
Glue protest at Rathlin Energy’s West Newton site in East Yorkshire, 1 June 2019. Photo: still from video by Paul Rance
This is the fourth protest in less than a fortnight outside West Newton.
On 1 June, a person glued themselves to the road. Two people locked their arms together in a tube across the access road on 3 June. They were released by a specialist police team at about 2am on 5 June.
Later that day, a man climbed onto a lorry leaving the site and stayed for 27 hours.
There have been a number of arrests. DrillOrDrop is waiting for details of charges from Humberside Police. This report will be updated when we receive this information.
Rathlin Energy is currently drilling a second well at West Newton to explore for both oil and gas. DrillOrDrop’s West Newton page
Categories: policing
DRILL OR DROP? 
Surely that’s just going to move the protest to the other side of the fence and cause more disruption to the wider population? You don’t need Extinction Rebellion up there, the council and police are causing this problem on behalf of the oil and gas industry.
Totally agree disgusting behaviour from police and rathlin security.
Protesters denied the right to legally protest.
The Goverment should be intervening here God help harthill and woodsett Sheffield they are next .
Totally disgusting FRACKING IS NOT WANTED IN OUR COUNTRY OR WELCOME.
Totally disgusting that FRACKING IS NOT BEING CONDUCTED BY RATHLIN.
All these uninformed antis need a bit more fracking to make it possible that their unresearched comments occasionally hit the bull.
But this isn’t fracking; just good old fashioned drilling.
Then remove the protesters without delay and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law. That should deter other [edited by moderator] from repeating such foolishness. The punishments so far have been wholly inadequate
Make pictures of the site and lorries, their license plates and companies working there. Not the protesters. .
It’s quite reasonable to prosecute those who break the law. However, in this democratic country, protest per se is not illegal. Let’s hope we don’t turn into the sort of authoritan state where it is. Also, as someone claiming to be wise, you will realise that the degree of illegality or harm should be proportionate in the punishment for anyone convicted. Fortunately we have many genuinely wise people in the independent judiciary to decide (and no doubt a few bad apples).
‘authoritarian’
Yes Mike, but when protesters act illegally, and caise others loss, they should be compelled to make up that loss, forcing a road to be closed causes huge loss, as does the police operation that surrounds these clowns.
There shouldn’t be protesters there they have now blocked the monitors from getting near the site and keeping note and checking the company is sticking to gold standard! This is a complete mess up now!
Interesting that all pretence of ‘monitoring’ has now been abandoned and the [Edited by moderator] are now referred to as protesters. About time something was done about them. Their particular brand of anarchy serves no useful purpose. Looking forward to seeing videos of them gnashing their teeth and rattling the fence walking-dead-style as the flare lights up the skyline.
John Hardwood, “about time something was done about them”? ? What do you suggest. It’s kind of simple. The protesters have tried to do everything they can to protest lawfully, however, the police and the council are the ones OBVIOUSLY who are pushing the boundaries of lawfleness. People have the right to protest and as we have a democratic system that is enshrined in law, unfortunately, the authorises are the ones who are bending the law to suit them and an industry that is becoming completely unsustainable both economically and environmentally. The protesters are doing what is lawful.
Sadly, people like yourself only think about the hear and now and the “so long as I’m alright Jack” attitude. You simply refuse to see the bigger picture.
We are not Anarchists we are very fed up locals who dont want our countryside destroyed by an industry that cares only for profit and is out of touch . This industry is destructive and acts unlawfully whilst our elected representatives turn a blind eye and the police and security push decent people around. Good for the protesters ! and sod you lot who are defending this shamefull bussiness.!
The road would be open at all times for pedestrians, the emergency services and vehicles needing access to properties directly affected, the notice said. So who is it closed to and why are police and not council staff manning it?
It’s closed because the [edited by moderator] are upset they aren’t allowed to have their own way when they want it.
I hope they are sued for the whole cost of the operation to deal with their sorry arses.
Splendid lack of empathy and missing the point totally there, chief… are you a Tory MP or something?
Wise Merlin, you know these people do you? I doubt it, you are really not wise, [edited by moderator]
Thank you Jono. [edited by moderator] if there is any justice, they will be heavily fined once they are released from the incarceration they deserve.
One hopes the police are not denying anybody of their rights to shelter, water and food like they have been doing to protectors who aren’t even under arrest
They are denying nobody anything, anyone is perfectly at liberty to leave the obstruction to the highway they have created, and access food, water and any other facilities they so choose.
If they choose not too, and choose to maintain their illegal action, that is a matter for them.
Hopefully the police and council will seek financial redress, in full from those illegally obstructing the highway.
Wise merlin you are not very wise at all. [Edited by moderator] Not surprising with such a selfish attitude. Fracking causes great harm to the environment. We all have a moral duty to ensure our children inherit a pollution free environment, so that we can prosper as a species. Future generations have a right to enter a pollution free world, that is a fundamental human right. Period.
The protesters are the wise ones. They are informed and know only too well of the dangers of fracking and the pollution it entails. They are the ones that have our selfish backs because people are too lazy and/or too stupid to realize the dangers. A bit like yourself.
Do you recall The Suffragettes , The slave trade , Boston tea party , Tiananmen square , Poll tax riots ? Protest is the building block of democracy and justice so maybe you could now explain why it should be stopped and the benefits that would have for you and me? You don’t state your interest in what is happening here and across great swathes of the UK , about 65% of the country is licenced , I bet you don’t live anywhere near a site. The fact that you are reading this article shows that you have an interest , Im fairly open about mine.
What is happening across great swathes of the UK, Jono??
I thought DoD did an article not long ago about drilling activity on shore in UK-or rather, lack of it.
I do live close to some existing sites. I know they are there because I have taken an interest. Most locals are totally unaware of them. Some of them are nestled away within very nice rural countryside. One is close to the R.Test, yet the neighbouring R.Itchen is now under scrutiny due to pollution from what? Oil or gas? No, a salad washing plant! Ban the vegans!
From recent history the disturbance to the very nice rural countryside is from a group of individuals, many from other areas, who decide it is their responsibility to come and disrupt that nice rural countryside, then moan about police causing them upset but relying upon those same police to protect them from irate locals.
I know that most of the clowns at the protest live nowhere near the site Jono, so what point is it you’re trying to make?
As for suffragettes and the slave trade, seriously, get over yourself, you are just an annoyance to people going about their lawful business.
Your defintion of protest seems to be “get your own way indefinitely. Happily it doesn’t work like that, and with luck, these protesters will in due course be fined into bankruptcy for the cost they have caused the rest of us.
More of a wise arse than a wise Merlin I think, yet another in-conpadsionate soul without a soul.
Mr Merlin, how on this earth can you get sued for lawfully protesting?
Perhaps on the fanticy planet you come from, they would do that, but not on planet earth. So perhaps go back to your wizardry hole and learn a new spell or two. If you wish to give me your address, I have a copy of change the world with a wand.
Easy Mr Nest, when you cause an obstruction, and cause others expense.
I Would suggest a spell checker before posting again 😉
Wise a**e Merlin, how do you prosecute for loss of earnings when it is subjective at the cost of loss? Judging by your posts, you’re soullessly focused on money, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work out that you only care about the financial benefits of an industry that is detrimentally harmful and anyone that stands in the way of making financial gain even if it is at the cost of the health and welfare of the planet, you seem to deem it acceptable! because after all there is nothing more important than money eh!
Perhaps your vision of the countryside covered in oil and gas fields seems like heaven to you, but I don’t think that view is shared by the vast majority of people and nor will it be shared by the future generations who will no doubt have to pick up the tab for this generation’s desire to put profit before people and planet.
Good call matey!!
If shelter, food and water is what they need Paula C I am sure there is a Little Chef, or similar, available locally. They could get a nice breakfast cooked with gas!
If you oppose the right to demonstrate make sure you don’t go out for a walk in the countryside this weekend. If you disagree with the protests then practice what you preach and campaign to remove the ‘right to roam’ act and have the countryside put back into private hands and make it unlawful for public access.
https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/nature/2017/04/mass-trespass-opened-gates-countryside
Why are they protesting against fracking when West Newton is a conventional well?
One flew over, the planning application for the work at West Newton was democratically approved by the council’s planning committee.
At the meeting it was reported that the application had only received 121 objections (the East Riding of Yorkshire Council area population is 338,000).
No one has a problem with peaceful protest, the problems only start when you get a group of people moving into the area and then try to implement mob rule.