Drilling Diary – March 2017

50+ events about UK fracking and onshore oil and gas, including two statutory challenges against the government approval of fracking at Preston New Road, plus the start of a nationwide fortnight of direct action, protest court hearings, planning decisions, energy debates, information events, meetings and film screenings

Please let us know here if you’d like us to add your events or if any details are wrong. This page will be updated throughout the month with new information.

Wednesday 1 March 2017

Continuing week-day rolling roadside protest against Cuadrilla’s operations at Preston New Road, 9am-3pm, Preston New Road, Westby PR4 Details

Lancashire County Council’s Development Control Committee meeting. The agenda includes applications LCC/2014/0047NM1 and LCC/2017/0016 by Cuadrilla to change the condition on noise and rig height at its Becconsall Exploration Site, off Bonny Barn Road, Hundred End Banks. 10am, Cabinet Room B, the Diamond Jubilee Room, County Hall, Preston PR1 8XJ. Details

Scheduled date for a court hearing for Louise Hammond on a charge of obstructing the highway at Cuadrilla’s Preston New Road site. 10am, Blackpool Magistrates Court, Civic Centre, Chapel Street, Blackpool, FY1 5DQ

Reclaim the Power Keep it in the Ground mobiliser tour: strategies and tactics to oppose fracking, 7pm-9pm, The Pavilion Cafe, Ashton Gardens, St Georges Road, Lytham St Annes FY8 2AE. Details

Haxby & Wigginton Against Fracking meeting, 7:30-9:30pm, Haxby Sports Bar, North Lane, Haxby YO32 3JP Details

Frack Free North Somerset open meeting, 7.30pm-10.30pm, The Bristol Hotel, 29 Locking Road, Weston-super-Mare, BS23 3BZ. Details

Frack Free Bridlington meeting, 7.30pm, The Windsor, Windsor Crescent, Bridlington.

Thursday 2 March 2017

British Geological Survey drop-in event about its Vale of Pickering environmental baseline monitoring, 2pm-8pm, Kirby Misperton Village Hall, High Row, Kirby Misperton, North Yorkshire YO17 6XN

Reclaim the Power Keep it in the Ground mobiliser tour: strategies and tactics to oppose fracking, 7pm-9pm, The Venue, Gadbrook Road, Rudheath, Northwich CW9 7JL. Details

Eckington Against Fracking public meeting, 7.30pm, Eckington Miners’ Welfare, Pipeyard Lane, Eckington S21 4FA Details

Free screening of A Groundswell Rising, organised by local residents concerned about potential fracking and drilling Weston-Super-Mare and North Somerset , 7.30pm, St Mark’s Church, St Mark’s Road, Worle, Weston-super-Mare, BS22 7PW

Friday 3 March 2017

Flying high to finish fracking. Fundraising event for one of the legal challenges to permission for fracking at Preston New Road. 9.30am-11.30am, Suffolk. Details and link to fundraising page: crowdjustice.org/case/demandtheban

Scheduled date for court hearing of Louise Hammond, Jared Dunne, Edward Thornton and Joseph Boyd on charges of failing to comply with a prohibited assembly police direction at Cuadrilla’s Preston New Road site. 10am, Blackpool Magistrates Court, Civic Centre, Chapel Street, Blackpool, FY1 5DQ

Reclaim the Power Keep it in the Ground mobiliser tour: strategies and tactics to oppose fracking, 7pm-9pm, Next to Nowhere Social Centre basement, 96 Bold Street, Liverpool L1 4HY. Details

Frack Free Somerset screening of The Truth Behind the Dash for Gas, 7pm-10pm, Wildgoose Space, 228 Mina Road, St. Werburghs, BS2 9YP Details

Saturday 4 March 2017

Free Power Up event hosted by Friends Of the Earth on using the legal and plannign systems to fight fracking, 10.30am-5pm, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S3, Details and to book a place

Frack-Free Folk Jam, 7-11pm, St Mary’s Church Hall, Wimborne Road, Poole BH152EG Details

Tuesday 7 March 2017

9am deadline for applications to the 2017 Campaign Bootcamp. Details

Sheffield Against Fracking monthly meeting, 7.30pm, Cafe, Central United Reformed Church, Chapel Walk, off Norfolk Street, Sheffield S1 2JB. Details

Short debate called by Lord Truscott on the economic and environmental benefits of shale gas development in the UK. Afternoon, House of Lords, London SW1A 1AA. Details

Wednesday 8 March 2017

Walk the No Fracking Way. Day 1: Kirby Misperton-Easingwold. Details

Meet the Regulators drop-in session, with representatives of Environment Agency, Health and Safety Executive, Oil and Gas Authority, and Public Health England. Warrington, Cheshire. Time and venue to be confirmed.

Bolton Against Fracking Monthly Meeting, 7pm, Cotton Tree Pub, Bolton BL1 2NP Details

Thursday 9 March 2017

Walk the No Fracking Way. Day 2:Easingwold-Harrogate. Details

Frack Free Cleveland meeting, 6pm, Saltburn House Hotel bar, Marine Parade, Saltburn, Redcar and Cleveland TS12 1BX. Details

Frack Free Kirton in Lindsey meeting about Wressle appeal, 7pm, The Yarborough Hunt pub, 49 Bridge Street, Brigg, North Lincolnshire DN20 8NS. Details

Public meeting on fracking, 7pm, St. Mary’s Church Parish Rooms, St. Mary’s Church, Darley Lane, Derby DE1 3AU. Details

No Fracking Way social meet, 7pm-11.30pm, Major Tom’s Social, 3 The Ginnel, Harrogate, HG1 2RB Details

Friday 10 March 2017

Walk the No Fracking Way. Day 3: Harrogate-Silsden. Details

Saturday 11 March 2017

Fracking in Bassetlaw awareness stall, 10am-1pm, Carolgate, Retford, Nottinghamshire DN22 6DY. Details

Walk the No Fracking Way. Day 4: Silsden-Longridge. Details

Frack Free Cleveland meeting, 2pm-4pm, Saltburn House Hotel Bar, Marine Parade, Saltburn, Redcar and Cleveland, TS12 1BX. Details

Leicestershire Against Onshore Drilling Springtime Frack-Free Festival, 2-5pm, location tbc Details

Sunday 12 March 2017

Walk the No Fracking Way. Day 5: Longridge-Preston New Road. Details

Monday 13 March 2017

Closing date for comments in final consultation on West Sussex and South Downs National Park joint minerals and waste plan. Details and links

Tuesday 14 March 2017

All Party Parliamentary Group on unconventional oil and gas meeting The Case for Shale Gas, with Gareth Redmond-King, WWF-UK and Ken Cronin, UK Onshore Oil and Gas, 10am-11am, Houses of Parliament (by invitation)

Wednesday 15 March 2017

Photo by Steve Fareham [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

First day of two statutory challenges by Preston New Road Action Group and Gayzer Frackman against the Communities Secretary, Sajid Javid, to grant planning permission to Cuadrilla to drill, frack and test up to four shale gas wells at Preston New Road, Little Plumpton, Lancashire. 9.30am, the High Court, Manchester Civil Justice Centre, 1 Bridge Street, Manchester M60 9DJ.

Meet the Regulators drop-in session, with representatives of Environment Agency, Health and Safety Executive, Oil and Gas Authority, and Public Health England. Barnsley area. Time and venue to be confirmed.

Frack Free Ashfield film screening and introduction to fracking presentation, 7.30pm-10pm, Triple S Snooker and Social Club, Mansfield Road, Skegby, Nottinghamshire NG17 3ED.

Frack Free North Somerset open meeting, 7.30pm-10.30pm, The Bristol Hotel, 29 Locking Road, Weston-super-Mare, BS23 3BZ. Details

Public meeting by Frack Free Formby to discuss plans by Aurora Energy Resources to drill for shale gas in the former Formby Oilfield. 7.30pm, Cricket Club, Cricket Path, Formby, Liverpool L37 7DP. Details

Thursday 16 March 2017

Day two of two statutory challenges by Preston New Road Action Group and Gayzer Frackman against the Communities Secretary, Sajid Javid, to grant planning permission to Cuadrilla to drill, frack and test up to four shale gas wells at Preston New Road, Little Plumpton, Lancashire. 9.30am, the High Court, Manchester Civil Justice Centre, 1 Bridge Street, Manchester M60 9DJ.

Friday 17 March 2017

Day three of two statutory challenges by Preston New Road Action Group and Gayzer Frackman against the Communities Secretary, Sajid Javid, to grant planning permission to Cuadrilla to drill, frack and test up to four shale gas wells at Preston New Road, Little Plumpton, Lancashire. 9.30am, the High Court, Manchester Civil Justice Centre, 1 Bridge Street, Manchester M60 9DJ.

Closing date for consultation by Natural England on whether to confirm the West Pennine Moors as a SSSI. Confirmation would help prevent fracking from the surface of the area. Link to consultation

Frack Free York Benefit Extravaganza, 7.30pm-11.30pm, The Fulford Arms, 121 Fulford Road, York YO10 4EX. Details

Tuesday 21 March 2017

Meet the Regulators drop-in session, with representatives of Environment Agency, Health and Safety Executive, Oil and Gas Authority, and Public Health England. Nottingham. Time and venue to be confirmed.

Scheduled meeting of Nottinghamshire County Council’s planning and licensing committee. Possible date for a decision on IGas’s Tinker Lane application for exploratory shale gas drilling. NOT CONFIRMED. 10.30am, County Hall, West Bridgeford, Nottingham NG2 7QP

Fracking debate hosted by Leeds Green Party. 7pm-9pm, Headingley Enterprise & Arts Centre, Bennett Road, Leeds, LS6 3HN. Details and to register

Wednesday 22 March 2017

University of Central Lancashire Energy Futures:Global Challenges free public debate. Speakers include: Francis Egan, CEO of Cuadrilla; Mike Tynan, former CEO of Westinghouse UK and Director of the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre in Sheffield; Myles Kitcher, MD of Peel Environmental talking about the need to have a balanced energy portfolio; representative of The Green Party, to be confirmed. 6.30-9pm, Darwin Lecture Theatre, University of Central Lancashire, Preston PR1 2HE. Details and to register

Frack Free Chorley & South Ribble monthly meeting, 7:30pm, Trader Jacks, Hollinshead Street, Chorley PR7 1EP. Details

Monday 27 March 2017

Start of Reclaim the Power Break the Chain fortnight of direct action. Plans for the event say “groups across the country will use direct action to disrupt companies supplying services and materials to the fracking industry, aiming to pressure them into dropping contracts. Continues until Monday 10 April 2017. Details

Wednesday 29 March 2017

UK onshore oil and gas: Policy, planning and future developments conference. Confirmed speakers include: Ken Cronin, UKOOG; Andrew Mullaney, Lancashire County Council; Jonathan Smith, Nottinghamshire County Council; Mark Hill, North York Moors National Park; Sue Manns, Pegasus, Sean McFadynen, EESSA; Tony Smith, Peel Gas and Oil; Tony Almond, HSE; Mark Ellis-Jones, EA; Jim Marshall, Water UK; Gemma James, Environmental Issues; Kevin Hollinrake MP; Neil Rowley, National Grid; Peter Styles, Keele University; Nick Riley, Carboniferous. 8.30am-5pm, city centre venue in Birmingham. Details

Thursday 30 March 2017

Publication of government statistics on greenhouse gas emissions and energy trends and prices. 9.30am, gov.uk website. Details

Meet the Regulators drop-in session, with representatives of Environment Agency, Health and Safety Executive, Oil and Gas Authority, and Public Health England. Ribble Valley, Lancashire. Time and venue to be confirmed.

Coming up later

April 2017

Sunday 2 April 2017

Screening of H2Oil, 7pm, The Boileroom, 13 Stokefields, Guildford, Surrey, GU1 4LS. Details

Tuesday 4 April 2017

Sheffield Against Fracking monthly meeting, 7.30pm, Cafe, Central United Reformed Church, Chapel Walk, off Norfolk Street, Sheffield S1 2JB. Details

Sunday 9 April 2017

Screening of There will be blood, 7pm, The Boileroom, 13 Stokefields, Guildford, Surrey, GU1 4LS. Details

Monday 10 April 2017

Final day of Reclaim the Power Break the Chain fortnight of direct action. Plans for the event say “groups across the country will use direct action to disrupt companies supplying services and materials to the fracking industry, aiming to pressure them into dropping contracts. Started Monday 27 March 2017. Details

Wednesday 12 April 2017

Performance of Fracked! Or Please don’t use the F-word, 7.45pm, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Millbrook, Guildford, Surrey GU1 3UX Details

Thursday 13 April 2017

Performance of Fracked! Or Please don’t use the F-word, 2.30pm, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Millbrook, Guildford, Surrey GU1 3UX Details

Performance of Fracked! Or Please don’t use the F-word, 7.45pm, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Millbrook, Guildford, Surrey GU1 3UX Details

Friday 14 April 2017

Performance of Fracked! Or Please don’t use the F-word, 8pm, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Millbrook, Guildford, Surrey GU1 3UX Details

Saturday 15 April 2017

Performance of Fracked! Or Please don’t use the F-word, 2.30pm, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Millbrook, Guildford, Surrey GU1 3UX Details

Performance of Fracked! Or Please don’t use the F-word, 8pm, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Millbrook, Guildford, Surrey GU1 3UX Details

Monday 17 April 2017

Performance of Fracked! Or Please don’t use the F-word, 7.45pm, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Millbrook, Guildford, Surrey GU1 3UX Details

Tuesday 18 April 2017

Performance of Fracked! Or Please don’t use the F-word, 7.45pm, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Millbrook, Guildford, Surrey GU1 3UX Details

Wednesday 19 April 2017

Performance of Fracked! Or Please don’t use the F-word, 7.45pm, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Millbrook, Guildford, Surrey GU1 3UX Details

Thursday 20 April 2017

Performance of Fracked! Or Please don’t use the F-word, 2.30pm, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Millbrook, Guildford, Surrey GU1 3UX Details

Performance of Fracked! Or Please don’t use the F-word, 7.45pm, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Millbrook, Guildford, Surrey GU1 3UX Details

Friday 21 April 2017

Performance of Fracked! Or Please don’t use the F-word, 8pm, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Millbrook, Guildford, Surrey GU1 3UX Details

Saturday 22 April 2017

Performance of Fracked! Or Please don’t use the F-word, 2.30pm, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Millbrook, Guildford, Surrey GU1 3UX Details

Performance of Fracked! Or Please don’t use the F-word, 8pm, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Millbrook, Guildford, Surrey GU1 3UX Details