The Prime Minister is wrong to raise people’s hopes that fracking could lead to cheaper energy bills, Jim Watson, professor of energy policy at Sussex University, said this week. Professor Watson, who is also research director at the UK Energy Research Centre, told a public lecture on Wednesday […]
There’s continuing uncertainty about the future impact of unconventional oil and gas sites on house prices and mortgage lending. Last week, Henry Smith, MP for Crawley, raised the issue in parliament after Santander withdrew a mortgage offer to one of his constituents on a house six miles from […]
When the energy company SSE put prices up last week by an average of 8.2%, it blamed, among other things, government-imposed green levies collected through gas and electricity bills. Three days later, the company told the FT that government green energy policies would put up bills by £26 […]
At least 26 public meetings on fracking will be held in England between September 25th and October 25th 2013 September 25 Fracking in Kent? Meeting, Sheperdswell, Kent, addressed by CPRE Protect Kent September 26 Public meeting, Eccles, organised by Say No to Fracking on Barton Moss September 27 Fracking […]
15/10/13 Any decision about fracking in Northern Ireland should be a matter for the Executive as a whole, says the Enterprise Minister, Arlene Foster. Her comments follows a debate in the Northern Ireland Assembly where the Minister of the Environment assured assembly members that in the absence of evidence […]
Update to Timeline – September 2013 30/9/13 Anti-fracking protestors begin to leave the camp outside Cuadrilla’s site at Balcombe. The Guardian reports that tents, banners and makeshift structures are being cleared from verges. Cuadrilla closed the exploratory well before its planning permission expired on Saturday September 28th. The […]
Update to Timeline – September 2013 27/9/13 Cuadrilla leaves Balcombe Cuadrilla’s exploratory drilling site at Balcombe is cleared and Sussex Police scales down its operation. Superintendent Lawrence Hobbs says a few officers will remain in the area, mostly to ensure road safety. He acknowledges the policing operation will affect […]
Update to Timeline – September 2013 24/9/13 Police help Cuadrilla breach planning permission Sussex Police tells West Sussex County Council that lorries entering and leaving the Cuadrilla site at Balcombe this week will use different routes. This would be a breach of the company’s planning permission. In a […]
Update on Timeline – September 2013 19/9/2013 Anglers come out against fracking. The Angling Trust, which represents game, coarse and sea anglers in England says current environmental regulations aren’t good enough to deal with fracking. It urges the government not allow fracking unless sustainable supplies of water are […]
Government, operators and regulators must put across a clear message about fracking following the protest at Balcombe, the leading lobbyist for the energy supply industry said today (September 19th 2013). Michael Lunn, of the Environmental Industries Commission, said the government and the Environment Agency had “completely mismanaged” the […]
DRILL OR DROP? 