Reporting the campaign against exploration and exploitation of unconventional gas and oil
Legal changes to help frackingThe Daily Telegraph reports that ministers are looking at changes to the trespass laws to make it easier for energy companies to explore for shale gas. The paper says that under plans being considered by the government fracking would be allowed to take place […]
An anti-fracking protestor, whose case the police believed should not go to trial, was acquitted this morning (28/1/14) after less than two hours in court. Aaron Bell, 26, of no fixed address, had denied obstructing a police officer outside Cuadrilla’s oil exploration site at Balcombe on August 12th […]
Yesterday, Peter Lilley MP, a member of the House of Commons Energy and Climate Change Committee told Channel 4 News that 200 wells had been fracked in the UK. Vanessa Vine, of Britain and Ireland Frack Free, told the programme that an email to her from the Department […]
Six women who allegedly glued themselves to the doors of Cuadrilla’s PR company, Bell Pottinger, were acquitted after a two-day trial last week (24/1/14). Kara Moses, Tara Clarke, Eleanor Smith, Louise Dear, Kelly Minio-Paluello and Dee Murphy, who became known as the “sticky six”, had denied two charges […]
Two environmental campaigners, Timothy Harris and Kaity Squires, have been found guilty of assaulting police at last summer’s anti-fracking protests at Balcombe. They were both conditionally discharged for 12 months and each ordered to pay £300 costs. Another campaigner, Zachary Hewitt, was found not guilty on the same […]
The No Fracking in Balcombe Society (NoFibs) is quoted in the Mid Sussex Times as saying it does not believe Cuadrilla will never frack at Balcombe. Yesterday, a letter from the company to villagers said the oil-bearing rocks at Balcombe were naturally fractured and so it had no […]
Two people who attended the anti-fracking protests at Balcombe spoke this afternoon about how they went to the aid of a fellow demonstrator who they thought was being assaulted by a policeman. Kaity Squires, 20, from Portsmouth, and Timothy Harris, 29, from Crewkerne in Somerset, were giving evidence […]
Cuadrilla has written to Balcombe residents telling them it has no plans ever to frack its oil exploration well on the edge of village. The letter, signed by company Chief Executive, Francis Egan, says the oil-bearing rocks below the site at Lower Stumble are naturally fractured. Mr Egan […]
An environmental campaigner described this morning (23/1/14) how a police officer held him in a headlock during a struggle at the anti-fracking protests at Balcombe. Zachary Hewitt was giving evidence at his trial at Brighton Magistrates Court. Mr Hewitt, 23, of Bexhill-on-sea, is accused along with another campaigner, […]
The final cost of policing last summer’s demonstrations outside Cuadrilla’s oil exploration site at Balcombe was £3.985 million. A press release from the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner, Katy Bourne, said the total included police salaries, overtime, rest day working and support from other police forces. Mrs Bourne has […]
DRILL OR DROP? 