Dawn eviction of New Hope anti-fracking camp near Cuadrilla’s Preston New Road shale gas site, 19 November 2019. Photo: Able Enforcements
Bailiffs accompanied by police have moved to clear anti-fracking protesters from a camp on the edge of Blackpool this morning.
Eye witnesses said eviction staff arrived with dogs at about 6.30am to clear the site, known as New Hope, near Cuadrilla’s fracking site at Preston New Road.
People at the camp said they had been told they would be allowed back to their homes to remove possessions.
At the time of writing (9.30am) most residents were on the pavement outside.
There were complaints that no legal documents had been provided to people living on the camp.
The team behind the eviction, Able Enforcements from Bristol, said a team of 30 staff had joined Specialist Group International, which works to remove protesters from trees.
Able Enforcements said the eviction, of about 12 camp residents, had been done in consultation with Lancashire Constabulary without the need for a court order.
A statement from the company said it had used “common law rights to remove trespassers from private land”.
Steve Wood, operations director at Able Enforcements, said:
“This was a challenging job and a complicated site – these squatters have been here for more than three years, were well entrenched and are experienced protestors.
“Our main priority was to act with speed and surprise, to prevent them locking themselves to structures or trees, or to call up reinforcements from nearby camps.”
Opponents of Cuadrilla’s Preston New Road operation said New Hope was established several months after site work began in January 2017.
DrillOrDrop will update this report with more details from the eviction.
Categories: Opposition
DRILL OR DROP? 
Long Overdue. The place was/is a health hazard.
JMNS
Fracking is a ” health hazard ”
Why don’t you also complain about that ?????
To add to the above
What Cuadrilla represented, was toxic,
environmentally damaging and SOOOOO last century .
This is a taste of the , clean green future .
Bill Gates backs startup using sunlight to create 1,000C-plus heat
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/nov/19/bill-gates-energy-startup-sunlight-heliogen-solar-energy
Concentrated solar doing very well
Interesting project JP.
https://www.heidelbergcement.com/en/noor
Makes sense in Morocco.
Who said so?
JMNS
” Who said so ” a long , never ending list of well respected, independent, professional organisations/ bodies of people, that’s who .
https://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/health/case_studies/hydrofracking_w.html
https://bcaction.org/our-take-on-breast-cancer/stop-fracking/
ABOVE are just two links that say Fracking is DANGEROUS. If you need more convincing JMNS , please say so. I will be more than happy to provide you with whatever amount of evidence is required to convince you .
Jackie- Big Green Jack is limited to posting links to what is on the Internet. When it comes to whether it has any relevance to the UK then difficulties arise.
The off side rule would require an Internet link!
However, nice to see President Trump is managing to keep our energy bills down. When all that “surplus” gas is piped, instead of being flared, happy days-except for New York!
MARTIN ,
OR should I call you, Mr Opinion Only ????????
EVIDENCE is what people require, an opinion which is what you ONLY ever supply is worth SWEET NOTHING .
MARTIN, what exactly would you like Jack to help you with , regarding your understanding of the toxic , environmentally damaging fracking ponzi scheme ??????
Jack will of course , back up all he says with evidence from professional bodies of people .
After your car crash regarding the Permian Basin, Jack, I think I will keep away from any more of your “help”!!
Plenty of evidence supplied to you there Jack. Readers will remember that. Shame you didn’t, or have no argument if you do so.
Perhaps, if the day ever comes that you can “help” with more than selected, and often disconnected, “links” and show you have a grasp of the subject, I may change my mind.
By the way-please explain why it is not a FACT that large quantities of gas are being flared in USA due to the required pipelines not in place. Not an OPINION, a FACT.
MARTIN ,
[Edited by moderator]
MARTIN , I’ve not yet picked up on your ” opinion ” on this potential great breakthrough that was reported on in today’s Guardian Newspaper .
Great news isn’t it ??????? Could be a real game changer in the fight for a greaner, cleaner future .
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/nov/19/bill-gates-energy-startup-sunlight-heliogen-solar-energy
MARTIN ,
What are your thoughts on the appalling, penny pinching cut backs by the fracking industry, operating within in the worlds largest shale sweet spot, the Permian Basin ???????
In their quest to try and make a quick buck, they are willing to sacrifice health and safety of their workers. Have you seen the appalling record of deaths and serious health issues of people working within this field ???????
Also take a look at the abysmal
maintenance record of the equipment …… It’s clear the industry has a TWO FINGERS approach to the enviournment.
https://www.morrowsheppard.com/blog/5-dangers-of-working-in-the-permian-basin/
Disgusting and shameful, don’t you agree MARTIN ??????
MARTIN ,
To tread more carefully , so as not to fall foul of the Moderator again .
I will re-phrase what I said.
What exactly are you talking about , quote ” car crash regarding the Permian Basin ”
What can Jack help you with on this occasion ????????? Now remember MARTIN, whatever you say , most forum members will remember what the real truth is , so NO porkies and NO trying to twist the facts.
Oops! What a load of heat and no light.
I think everyone remembers your posts regarding your “knowledge” regarding the Permian Basin.
More interestingly, I note there is now a number 4 Jack! No 1 is Big Green Jack, No 2 is Big Blue Jack, No 3 is little blue jack and now we have little green jack!!
Quite an industry underway!
But, to help you all at the centre for misinformation- yes, the US is easing back upon fracking. Why? Due to the “success” in bringing down world prices. You will find most producers of most things reduce expansion when the prices drop. There is even an economic model for it which relates supply and demand and price.
Penny pinching? Dish washers on $60k/year? You were supplied with that reference. But thanks-AGAIN-for demonstrating how your selected links miss out on such items.
Dangers within an industry? Hmm. I believe there is a Court case around a driver being burned to death in a Tesla in USA. Or, you might like to take a look at children scraping cobalt out of the ground in DRC and suffering the consequences of handling what is classified as a carcinogen. Not disgusting and shameful? Mining next in the oceans? Nah-alternative, so collateral damage quite okay?!
From-the one and only Martin!
MARTIN ,
Thanks for the great laughter.
I’ve helped to educate you on the dangers of fracking on many occasions, but for some reason you constantly refuse to face the facts .
YES FACTS , unlike yourself who backs up what you say with ZERO evidence. I on the other hand produce viable evidence.
Now MARTIN , let’s see your evidence, that somehow proves I lost an argument with you regarding the Permian Basin . For ONCE will YOU back up your comments with evidence ??????
Whilst I have your attention , I will ask you again . What are your thoughts on the appalling worker safety record and serious health problems of people working within the Permian Basin and what are your thoughts on the POOR maintenance record of the equipment operating within this field ???????
https://www.morrowsheppard.com/blog/5-dangers-of-working-in-the-permian-basin/
It’s clear the industry has a TWO FINGERS approach to worker and enviournmental safety ……
PENNY PINCHING , yes that’s what I’d call it .
MARTIN, I know that this may break your heart , but I’m afraid to say, there is only one jackthelad. Please feel free to ask the MODERATOR to confirm this , if you require proof.
Ahh, two green Jacks/jacks for the price of one!-or two?
If you want my comment regarding worker safety in the Permian, I would simply state that not that different to safety in most oil fields in USA. A lot better than safety in some other parts of the world, but not as good as in UK on shore. So, if safety of workers is your concern Jack(s), there is a simple answer-oil/gas extraction in the UK, rather than import from USA!!
Now, is that the answer you required, Jack? Or, was it that you found a reference on the Internet and decided to post without any thought?
Your Internet only seems to have the “problems” Jack and none of the answers.
In respect of asking Paul, I do not need to bother him. He has enough to do controlling those who get too excited.
You visited New Hope protection camp JMNS?
Didn’t think so.
Air and water pollution plus property damaging swarms of seismic activity, now classed as HYDROFRACS by the BRITISH GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, from the nearby fracking site are the health issues to be highlighted!
After all everyone camped out or lived in caves quite happily just a few generations ago before industrialisation and over population!
If they thought this was a ‘challenging job and a complicated site’ I wonder if they would be employed to tackle sites with more than 12 protectors? Sounds like they would have been well out of their depth if a few others had turned up.
Fracking is a health hazard noisy smelly and extremely worrying says me who lives just behind it and can watch the flares from my bedroom window !! I salute these stalwart protesters
JMNS,
Where exactly have you emerged from and why?
The usual band of fracking apologists have gone away with the halting of fracking by the UK Government following the swarms of earthquakes hitting the Fylde.
Are you their replacement?
Please explain yourself?
He’s been stirring up the bitter ne’erdowell ex anti-frackers over on their Facebook page about getting rid of the camps. They love him there (well somebody must I suppose, but to be fair I don’t think they are very discriminating 😉 ).
He’ll be ever so happy now that these people are homeless won’t you JMNS. Good work mate. Hope you are proud of yourself today. Maybe one day you’ll be proud enough of what you do not to hide yourself away.
Just check how much sun has been contributing to the Grid lately!!! This is the UK not California!!!!
JMNS you have clearly never visited New Hope camp. It isn’t and never has been a health hazard.
JMNS
HERE is the article again , it’s clear you didn’t read it properly first time round.
Bill Gates backs startup using sunlight to create 1,000C-plus heat
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/nov/19/bill-gates-energy-startup-sunlight-heliogen-solar-energy
Taken from the above article, quote, ” The technology could even reach temperatures of 1,500C to split hydrogen particles from water to create a fossil-free gas to warm homes, fuel cars and power factories. ”
JMNS , GAS can be transported to other parts of the world .
Not too sure about the “…..
Common Law Rights to remove trespassers from Private Land’ quotation.
They’ve been there quite a long time after all!
I was under the impression that the owner of the land had given her permission for the protectors to camp at the site? [Edited by moderator]
If the site owner hadn’t agreed with the concept of the New Hope Anti-fracking Camp it wouldn’t have taken until now for the Constabulary and the Frackers to conspire to have it closed down.
Maybe the owner has had a change of heart which would make the tactics for removal employed seem somewhat over the top, not to mention expensive! .
Trespass is a Civil Matter and someone would have to seek assistance of the courts surely to obtain an order to evict. So the Police facilitate the removal!!!
The police at PNR are a law unto themselves.
They certainly believe and act as if that were true Pauline. However a change of Government away from the toxic Tories will soon sort that out! Or maybe Mother Nature blowing the toxic fracking byproduct gases in their direction will have done the job first! The police have taken this crap home to their wives and children every time they finish a shift!
Only the owner of land can instigate civil action for trespass! Due process must be followed for eviction to be Legal! Either the victims of this eviction or those who carried it out and facilitated it are BIG FAT LIARS,
Without any written evidence to the contrary I conclude that the BIG FAT LIARS are the guys from BRISTOL. Pprobably imported at great expense because after the earthquake swarms local companies have realised that demonstrators and activists were correct in taking action against the government enabled fracking industry!