Can you spot the fracking difference?

Over the summer, the government is consulting about whether to change the law to reclassify fracking as ‘permitted development’. This is part of the UK planning law that allows people to carry out improvements on their home or property, such as putting up a garden shed, without having to apply to the local council for planning permission. The government is proposing that exploratory drilling for shale gas should also be considered as permitted development, which means that oil and gas companies would not need to apply for planning permission to construct an exploratory fracking well pad. Well pads can cover 1.5 hectares and result in noisy day-and-night drilling for up to 8 months. They require over 60 HGV journeys a day.

It seems that the government can’t tell the difference between a fracking rig and a garden shed. These proposals are an attack on our local democracy, as they would prevent councils from opposing fracking in their area. The government has realised that they are never going to persuade rural communities to accept fracking, so they are now trying to find some way for the fracking industry to start drilling without consulting local people.

An area of north-west Leicestershire has already been licensed for fracking. If the government succeeds in changing the law, oil and gas companies would be able to move in and start exploratory drilling without even applying for planning permission. Fracking has been banned in many countries, including Scotland and France, because people are concerned about the health risks and pollution. It is not fair that it should be forced on communities without them even being able to have a say.
Fracked gas will increase climate change at a time when we should be moving towards clean renewable energy. The Paris climate agreement acknowledges that we need to keep fossil fuels in the ground if we want to avoid dangerous climate change.

We asked people if they would sign our petition to Leicestershire County Council, asking them to speak out against the proposals to fast-track fracking. The shed and the fracking rig attracted a lot of attention and most people we spoke to were keen to sign the petition and prevent this unfair change to the law.