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 […]
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 […]
http://www.InvestigatingBalcombeAndCuadrilla.com has been trying for nearly a fortnight to get answers from Cuadrilla to some simple questions. Cuadrilla responded this afternoon and the answers are below, unedited. Will Balcombe be able to take advantage of the community benefit scheme? This single well exploration activity that Cuadrilla has been undertaking […]
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 […]
West Sussex County Council has said an Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) would not be needed for Cuadrilla’s new proposals at Balcombe. The company’s planning application was published yesterday (23/1/14) on the West Sussex County Council website. The application is for temporary permission for flow testing and monitoring a lateral borehole, […]
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 […]
A police officer monitoring the crowds at last summer’s Balcombe anti-fracking protests told a court this afternoon (22/1/14) how he was punched in the chest by a young woman demonstrator. PC Mario Ciaramella, usually based at Worthing Police Station, was giving evidence at the trial of three environmental […]