An at-a-glance view of April’s news about fracking and onshore oil and gas. For the current month’s news click here 30/4/14 The Guardian reports on REPOWERBalcombe, the scheme which aims to supply the equivalent of 100% of the village’s electricity demand through community-owned, locally-generated renewable energy.
30th April 2014 Yesterday, the planning committee of West Sussex County Council granted planning permission to Cuadrilla to test the viability of its oil exploration well at Balcombe. This is despite nearly 900 objections to the public consultation, a 5,000-name petition against the application and presentations in opposition […]
29th April 2014 One Balcombe villager spoke in support of Cuadrilla’s planning application to test the viability of its oil exploration well when it came before councillors this morning.
29th April 2014 The chair of West Sussex Planning Committee has adjourned the meeting considering Cuadrilla’s planning application at Balcombe, amid heckling from the audience. To shouts of “very unprofessional” and “not democratic”, Cllr Heidi Brunsdon led members of the committee out of the meeting room. The committee […]
23rd April 2014 Updated figures from Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) released this month show there are 84 oil and gas wells in East and West Sussex. A few of them were drilled more than 100 years ago. Many never produced commercial quantities of hydrocarbons. But […]
11th April 2014 Oil and gas exploration should be banned in Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) unless it is in the national interest and only when the circumstances are exceptional. That’s the view of the National Association for Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty* (NAAONB), in response to […]
11th March 2014 Noise, lighting, traffic and the impact on the natural beauty of the High Weald are the key concerns of organisations responding to Cuadrilla’s application to flow test its oil exploration well at Balcombe. As the consultation period comes to an end, InvestigatingBalcomeAndCuadrilla.com has been analysing […]
8th March 2014 Balcombe Parish council has confirmed that it will formally object to the planning application submitted by Cuadrilla Balcombe Ltd to flow test the oil exploration well in the village. At an extra-ordinary meeting this morning the council unanimously adopted the recommendation of the Oil Exploration […]
19/2/14 Development of a UK fracking industry could be threatened by uncertainty about the planning and approvals process, according to the Poyry consulting group. A report published by the company this week warned that investment in shale gas could be deterred because it was unclear whether the UK […]
13/2/14 Charges brought under trades union legislation against two anti-fracking campaigners were dropped this morning before they gave evidence in court. Robert Basto, 66, of Reigate, and Jamie Spiers, 29, of no fixed address, had denied besetting Cuadrilla’s staff, contractors and suppliers at its oil exploration site at […]
DRILL OR DROP? 