The Mayor of Malton, in North Yorkshire, has failed in his attempt to bring a legal challenge against the government over the definition of fracking. But he said he had won important concessions in his campaign to restrict the shale gas industry.
In this guest post, Lancashire resident Barbara Richardson explains her frustration that the energy minister won’t meet local people to listen to their concerns about fracking.
The Conservative MP whose constituency includes Cuadrilla’s fracking site has urged the government to scrap its proposals designed to speed up shale gas decisions.
The government is seeking views on whether shale gas companies should be required to consult local people before they formally submit plans for an area.
Government proposals designed to speed-up fracking decisions are unclear, inappropriate and unjustified, a group of planning experts have said.
Several shale gas wells in production would be seen as success by the government, according to recently released notes of a round-table meeting between the energy minister and the industry.
A crowd estimated at more than 1,000 shouted “Cuadrilla go home” at a climate rally outside the company’s fracking site near Blackpool today.
The campaign groups, Friends of the Earth and Liberty, has been granted permission to intervene in the case of three anti-fracking protesters who are appealing today against their prison sentences.
Cuadrilla has confirmed it has started the first frack of a horizontal shale gas well today at its site at Preston New Road near Blackpool.
The decision on whether Cuadrilla can drill and frack up to four shale gas wells at Roseacre Wood, near Blackpool, is expected early in January 2019, according to the Planning Inspectorate.
DRILL OR DROP? 