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To: Herefordshire County Council

Ban fracking in Herefordshire

We call on Herefordshire County Council to REFUSE all planning applications related to FRACKING, whether exploratary or 'actual' along with all associated unconventional processes, including coalbed extraction.

Why is this important?

The damage to the environment and economy of areas where this has been allowed is well documented.

Poisoning of the water supplies, health issues, earthquakes are not imaginary and if you want an economic reason, property values can drop by 30% and you can find yourself unable to get house insurance.

An estate agent in Poulton le Fylde, near one of Cuadrilla’s drilling sites, told the Observer "There are a lot of properties coming on to the market, and some of the owners are saying they want to get out before prices start dropping” Other local estate agents have said sales have fallen through because properties are near a fracking site.

Herefordshire is an agricultural area and a tourist attraction, being an area of outstanding beauty. Experience in the US shows that fracking can create problems for local agriculture, including the loss of agricultural land, and concerns about water resources.

Jumping forward to September 2015, you will have heard on BBC Hereford & Worcester that a new round of applications were to be allowed in the South of Herefordshire in the Wye Valley Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty and in autumn of 2016 were issued. Thanks largely to public resistance accompanied by adverse oil prices South West Energy handed back the licences but made clear that this is a 'temporary' reprieve and they would be back, The fight continues ... Meanwhile a documentary is in editing stages at present. Thanks to those who have caught up with the plot and all the new additions to signatures.
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Further info:
Nationwide Mutual, the largest US farming insurance underwriter, announced in 2012 that “from an underwriting standpoint we do not have a comfort level with the unique risks associated with the fracking process to provide coverage at a reasonable price."

What would be the impact on tourism of hundreds of shale gas wells and associated infrastructure? In Australia, local tourism bodies are among the opponents of unconventional gas developments.

The Chartered Institute of Water and Environmental Management has said that the UK should “not encourage fracking as a part of our energy mix until there is more evidence that operations can be delivered safely, that environmental impacts are acceptable and that monitoring, reporting and mitigation requirements are comprehensive and effective.

Mark Menzies, the Conservative MP whose constituency covers much of the area in Lancashire where Cuadrilla has been active, has said “I do not believe that the regulatory system is robust or transparent enough to instill public confidence should permission be granted to the industry.".

Having fought off a previous attempt by South West Gas & Oil, we achieved a temporary stay, but with current news 2 years later in 2018 we can no longer consider ourselves safe we must raise attention to the fact that we are in an area where previous attempts have taken place.

Go tell your friends again that this is no longer a distant threat but a very real one right on our doorstep . For recent updates watch our associated facebook pages.
Here is an explanation for beginners:
https://www.facebook.com/frackfreeshires/videos/1971358513123509/

How it will be delivered

Will decide this when we have more firm info on applications ... Currently responding to posts on BBC Hereford & Worcester's facebook page and subsequent reports that deposits of shale gas have been found not only in the east of the county but a search being allowed in the south of the county in the
Wye Valley AONB ... see recent news on the update section and our facebook pages.

Herefordshire, United Kingdom

Maps © Stamen; Data © OSM and contributors, ODbL

Links

Updates

2018-10-15 18:47:46 +0100

This weekend Cuadrilla actually defied regulations and began fracking at PNR without any published escape plans in the event of an emergency. and one way or another lied about events overnight ... either the press release from A. J. Lewis (the company behind Caudrilla) issued at midnight our time in Australia to the Australian Stockholders raising the price of shires and stating they had 'already begun fracking,' or their denials of having already started outside of permitted working hours were an outright lie. Their own press releases should hang them. This now means no-one is guaranteed to be safe from this ruinous industry.

Earlier in the year we revisited Preston New Road in support of their campaign
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRypvb_hbCo

2017-08-07 16:42:11 +0100

More recently, we visited our fellow protectors in Lancashire to support their peaceful non-violent campaign conducted in the face of disgusting violence from security guards acting outside their jurisdiction and police not acting in the public interest. Obviously, they are on their best behaviour when the press and a big crowd are around. On this day the Guardian were here with a group of trade unions, Greenpeace UK, Poverty Action and a moving and inspiring address by William Hawk from Standing Rock.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7xQ5Hb8acY

2017-08-07 16:35:53 +0100

It's been awhile since we updated this, which is an ongoing situation til we stop this ruinous industry; The earlier videos posted developed into an hour long documentary following Gandalf's walk to London. During the walk to the river Severn, South West handed back the licences, but with the threat hanging that they would be back. While we have a temporary reprieve, but the campaign continues and meanwhile we are supporting other campaigns in the UK, primarily in Lancs. Meanwhile enjoy the documentary and keep up with the story here and on our facebook pages.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9o8TozP3weY

2016-09-12 02:11:23 +0100

10th Sept in a break from the journey Gandalf stops in the Weirdshire Festival to a great welcome ... No arm twisting needed to get signatures ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ikb7OCLjpM

2016-09-12 02:08:23 +0100

A united action by a new alliance of groups opposed to fracking and CSG/coalbed methane operations in the Wye Valley AONB, which straddles two counties ... Herefordshire & Gloucestershire.
Rick Guest, aka Gandolph. is emulating Tolkein's hero and, in this case going to London (not Port Talbot the original muse) taking his message to the heart of government. This covers the walk/cycle through the forest to Parkend Carnival.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaBcwCO7RiE

2016-09-12 02:02:00 +0100

Rick, aka Gandalf continues his journey gathering at Yat Rock where 250 people gathered on a wet and windy day to add their voices to the campaign. Joined by the Frack Off Our Forest campaigners, The Lancashire Nannas, and Five Valleys campaigners, they sang and joyously overcame the weather.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyOzZGWXatY

2016-09-12 01:56:38 +0100

Rick took on the persona of Gandalf, donning a wizard’s cloak as he began his walk from Hereford to Symonds Yat in a Tolkien-style quest through the shire.
Part One extension covers the intrepid walkers leaving Hereford.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lh8-vyY7QuU

2016-09-12 01:53:52 +0100

This is the first step in a journey all the way to Downing Street for local resident Rick Guest. Rick is determined to highlight the threat of fracking in Herefordshire - because the government is planning to allow drilling for shale gas around Symonds Yat, Welsh Newton and Ross on Wye.

Why point the finger at Barclays Bank? Barclays has a 97% stake in Third Energy, the company that wants to frack beautiful Ryedale in North Yorkshire. Famously over 4,000 respondents to the official consultation reject-ed the plans to frack in the region, while only 36 people came out in favour of shale gas extraction.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-FgSsPm7rY

2015-12-17 18:44:39 +0000

Tourism brought in twice as much as any other industry in Herefordshire last year, nearly half a billion pounds sterling. To allow fracking in two areas of oustanding beauty that thrive on agriculture and tourism, with the known effects this will have to the area, is beyond stupid and irresponsible.

Britain signed a deal in Paris a few days ago which committed us to reducing carbon emissions, yet instead of leading the way on green and renewable energy (leaving fossil fuels in the ground) the government have cut subsidies which encouraged renewable energy exploration and are falling back on carbon fuels as a quick, profitable and destructive fix.

2015-12-17 18:42:48 +0000

Since yesterday it has emerged that licenses have been issued across a wide area of South Herefordshire stretching into Gloucestershire.

These are Block Refs SO51a, SO61, SO60a, SO60b & SO50a
Operator SOUTH WESTERN
Partners SOUTH WESTERN ENERGY LIMITED
Contact Mr Gerwyn Williams
Address Unit 9 Bridgend Gusiness Center, Bridgend, CF31 3SH
e-mail [email protected]

Map Here: https://decc-edu.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=29c31fa4b00248418e545d222e57ddaa

Those who have previously followed this and other campaigns opposed to these practises will know CSG is even more dangerous than fracking ... these companies play with symantics too using the confusion between fracking and CSG. The results are just as dangerous (possibly more so with CSG) as terrible explosions have been triggered in Australia for example. See Video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ5rgMOr650

2015-12-16 19:44:36 +0000

NEWS: MPs have voted by 298 to 261 to allow
fracking under national parks amid calls for stronger safeguards.

It means fracking will be allowed 1,200m below national parks, with drilling taking place from outside the protected areas,, like Symonds Yat in Herefordshire..

Two years ago, BBC's investigation revealed Eastnor, Fownhope and Much Marcle - in the east of Herefordshire - were all on a Whitehall map for potential shale-gas exploration work. It emerged in the autumn that the government had already carried out environmental studies at Whitchurch and Symonds Yat in the Wye Valley and Llangrove and Welsh Newton on the Herefordshire/Welsh border with a view to issuing licences to fracking firms.

Herefordshire is a food growing area and a tourist destination, designated as an AONB. The risk to water aquifers would be unacceptable for humans, farm animals and wildlife alike.
#EcocideisaCrime #SupportingEcocideLaw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wpxUJIXoGA

2015-12-16 13:55:52 +0000

In the first test for MPs after the ‪#‎ParisAgreement‬, Parliament will vote today on regulations which would allow fracking under our national parks. There will be no debate on the change – only a vote on a paper ballot.

Caroline Lucas will vote against the changes, and has called on MPs to turn the words of the Paris climate agreement into reality by rejecting the proposal.

If the Government is to match its rhetoric on the climate deal struck in Paris then ministers must urgently rethink their entire approach to energy policy. That means a total ban on fracking, however well regulated, halting the reckless dash for gas and reversing cuts to renewables.

Caroline continues to stand up for a safe climate, including when she was arrested at an anti-fracking protest in Balcombe. Shale gas has no place in a green and sustainable world. We need to ‪#‎KeepItInTheGround‬.
The campaign moves into a new era .. Watch this space.

2015-09-03 20:05:33 +0100

1,000 signatures reached

2015-09-02 19:09:01 +0100

Radio interviews on the subject 2/9/15
A new round of fracking licenses issued by the government brings alarm to more parts of the UK that definitely should not be considered.
Two years ago, BBC's investigation revealed Eastnor, Fownhope and Much Marcle - in the east of Herefordshire - were all on a Whitehall map for potential shale-gas exploration work. It's now emerged that the government has already carried out environmental studies at Whitchurch and Symonds Yat in the Wye Valley and Llangrove and Welsh Newton on the Herefordshire/Welsh border with a view to issuing licences to fracking firms. Any decision for the green light looks likely to hinge on a 6-week consultation process.

Herefordshire is a food growing area and a tourist destination, designated as an AONB. The risk to water aquifers would be unacceptable.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wpxUJIXoGA

2015-09-01 20:21:11 +0100

You will have heard on BBC Hereford & Worcester that a new round of applications is to be allowed in the South of Herefordshire in the Wye Valley Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Thanks to those who have caught up with the plot and all the new additions to signatures. Go tell your friends this is no longer a distant threat but a very real one right on our doorstep .