In the ‘media quiet’ days before Christmas, the Government awarded an additional set of Fracking licenses to private companies. Threes of these license blocks cover the Bury area, including one which covers parts of Prestwich.
License areas 70, 80 and 81, which includes a part of Prestwich, Whitefield, Bury, Radcliffe, Ramsbottom, Tottington and and then right across towards Bolton have been awarded to Hutton Energy Ltd for exploration.
Fracking, or ‘Hydraulic Fracturing’ is where underground rock is fractured by the high pressure injection of ‘fracking fluid’ to create cracks underground where natural gas can be released.
Residents will be aware of campaigners in many other parts of the country (e.g. in Lancashire) being very opposed to fracking sites near them.
Many of the areas covered by the Fracking License in our Green Belt – land which has been left as green and recreational land
Many of the areas covered are in former mining areas with old mining shafts and diggings, and areas have suffered from subsidence in the past.
Fracking is a controversial subject – there is more information about the environmental impact that Fracking can have at the Greenpeace website here.
http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/climate/fracking
You can help us campaign to Bury Fracking Free by signing our online petition here.
You only mention in your article,
“Residents will be aware of campaigners in many other parts of the country (e.g. in Lancashire) being very opposed to fracking sites near them.”
What about the many law abiding citizens, who don’t cause mayhem and disruption, and don’t mount terrorist like campaigns, abusing our system of legally authorized exploration.
We, i believe are in the majority in supporting fracking, but don’t mount hate campaigns against people who don’t.
When are these supporters of “Green energy” take there heads out of the sand, and enter the world of reality. The wind is not going to always blow. The sun is not going to shine 24 hrs a day, or even every day. What is required in this country is an energy policy that supports our capability to use the natural resources that are within our borders. And not to be at the whim of foreign powers to supply us with oil or gas.
It’s about time that the majority where heard.
Name withheld for fear of being abused and targeted by green zealots.
Can I ask why you’ve only mentioned 5 of the 6 towns that make up the borough? Is it because your way to avoid having fracking in the nice, middle class parts of the borough is to sacrifice Radcliffe, the poor relation, yet again?
Well spotted Gaynor, just an ommission on our part – sorry!
We’re 100% opposed to fracking in Radcliffe – which is particularly important as so much of the town is covered by the new Fracking licenses.