Reporting the campaign against exploration and exploitation of unconventional gas and oil
7/2/14 The government has dropped its plans to restrict campaigners from challenging planning decisions through the courts. The Minister of Justice (MoJ) recently consulted on a proposal to limit those eligible to take out a judicial review. But this was not included in the government’s response to the […]
7/2/14 Less than a third of people support fracking for shale gas, according to the latest survey of public attitudes commissioned by the Department for Energy and Climate Change. Just 27 per cent of the 2,110 people surveyed said they supported “extracting shale gas to generate the UK’s […]
10/2/14 The onshore oil and gas industry appears to be shying away from public debate, despite making promises to engage with local communities. Member companies of the UK Onshore Operators Group (UKOOG) have signed up to a Community Engagement Charter, which pledges “openness and transparency in everything we […]
3/2/14 Greenpeace reported today that a group of Sussex residents have formed the first legal blockade to stop a drilling site. The charity says solicitors acting on behalf of the residents have written to the Energy Secretary, Ed Davey, and the exploration company, Celtique Energie, to say they […]
3/2/14 The chief constable of Sussex Police, Martin Richards, has said the nearly £4m cost of policing last year’s anti-fracking protests at Balcombe was “value for money”. In an interview with the Mid Sussex Times, he explained: “The public suffered no real serious injury, protestors were allowed to […]
The Crown Prosecution Service has revealed details of more cases arising from the Balcombe anti-fracking protests that have been dropped before reaching trial. Earlier this month, we reported information from Sussex Police, which said 21 people had their cases discontinued by the police before they were charged and […]
An anti-fracking campaigner heard today (30/1/14) that his human right to freedom of speech through protesting did not give him a right to wilfully obstruct the police. Keyon Bayandor, 25, from Bristol, denied obstructing PC Michael Butler at the Balcombe protests on August 1st last year. But he […]
The latest research into public attitudes to fracking shows that support is continuing to fall, despite promises of money for communities where shale gas development goes ahead. This suggests that an apparent turn against fracking shown in a survey last year was not a blip. The research by […]
An environmental campaigner at the anti-fracking protests at Balcombe was found guilty this afternoon (29/1/14) of assaulting a police officer but was acquitted of resisting arrest. Tony Jones, 24, of Hackney, London, was accused of pushing Sergeant Michael Howe in the chest on August 19th last year during […]
The driller The CEO of energy exploration company, Celtique Energie, told the West Sussex County Times if his company doesn’t drill in the county another will. Geoff Davies said: “We shouldn’t be having to battle to find out what the nation has got, but we are. We’re battling […]
DRILL OR DROP? 