News stream reporting on the latest news on efforts to exploit unconventional oil and gas and the campaign against it
Cuadrilla Resources has announced two new fracking sites near Blackpool: Roseacre Wood and Preston New Road near Little Plumpton. In a statement issued today (4/2/14), the company said it will apply for planning permission to drill, hydraulically fracture and test the flow of gas from up to four […]
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 […]
The chief executive of one of Cuadrilla’s major investors resigned unexpectedly this week. Allan Campbell has led the Australian mining contractor, AJ Lucas, since 1995. The company has a 43.7% stake in Cuadrilla and a direct investment of 25 per cent in each of Cuadrilla’s operations in the […]
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 […]
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 […]
DRILL OR DROP? 