The Times reports (9/1/14) the Government is prepared to give communities near fracking sites a bigger share of the proceeds, following pressure from backbench Conservative MPs. The paper said ministers are willing to reconsider the present proposals for community benefits which would give local groups 1 per cent […]
On September 15th, the Lib Dem conference passed several motions on fracking. They were part of the party’s policy on transition to a zero carbon Britain. The motions on fracking (F10 4m and 4n) committed the party to: 4 (m) Limiting shale gas exploration until it has been shown […]
Anti-fracking campaigners from Balcombe are taking their musical protest to London on Sunday (October 20th). During the summer, villagers organised three Belt It Out Balcombe singalongs to voice their opposition in song to Cuadrilla’s exploration for oil. The London event, described as “Singing a new World into being”, is part […]
Balcombe Parish Council is to ballot villagers on their opinion on future oil and gas exploration in the area. The ballot, to be run by Electoral Reform Services, will inform the council’s future policy on exploration and extraction. It aims to collect opinions on: Cuadrilla’s application for planning […]
Last week, the European Parliament voted by 354 votes to 300 to extend compulsory Environmental Impact Assessments to hydraulic fracturing operations. The vote among UK MEPs was 29 in favour and 32 against. 8 UK MEPs were absent and 4 didn’t vote. Most […]
The European Parliament has voted to make environmental impact assessments compulsory before fracking can go ahead. Under the current Environmental Impact Assessment Directive, many shale gas projects have avoided the need for an EIA because they extract less than 500,000 cubic metres a day. MEPs, who are reviewing the directive, […]
DRILL OR DROP? 