Decision on Cuadrilla bid for first UK fracking operation for four years at Preston New Road site in Lancashire deferred until Monday June 24, 2015 Cuadrilla’s wait to find out if it can start the UK’s first fracking operation in four years will be dragged on, after Lancashire County Council deferred the decision. Read more: Cuadrilla bid for first UK fracking operation for four years to be debated Cuadrilla’s application for permission to frack on the Preston New Road site is [...]
Cuadrilla bid for first UK fracking operation for four years to be debated June 23, 2015 A bid to start the first fracking operation in the UK for four years could be decided tomorrow, as gas exploration company Cuadrilla hope to extract shale gas in Lancashire. Fracking applications for two Lancashire sites, Little Plumpton and Roseacre Wood, now lie with the county council. Cuadrilla’s application for Little Plumpton is recommended for [...]
Frackers rejoice after council warms to shale as Cuadrilla’s Lancashire proposal wins backing June 15, 2015 Frackers yesterday welcomed planning officers’ backing of Cuadrilla’s shale gas proposal at a site in Lancashire, saying it shows that communities are starting to warm to the controversial energy extraction technique. Lancashire council planning officers recommended that the council should approve Cuadrilla’s fracking application at the Preston New Road site when a decision is [...]
Why now is the time for energy policy to champion consumers May 18, 2015 The election of a Conservative government has led to a big change in personnel at the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) – one of the few Liberal Democrat run departments in the previous Parliament. Now, this fresh team has an opportunity to get a grip on the many challenges facing the UK’s energy [...]
New energy secretary Amber Rudd says Tory government will back fracking May 17, 2015 The Tory-led government will back fracking, according to the new energy and climate change secretary. Shale gas extraction will be allowed under national parks under the new government, Amber Rudd told The Sunday Times in an interview this weekend. Rudd added that while the government would allow firms to exploit oil and gas resources, such [...]
Jane Ellison and Tessa Munt: Meet the female MPs fighting against fracking and tobacco February 1, 2015 In recent days two female politicians have been at the forefront of fights against major industries. Jane Ellison, the Conservative public health minister, is helping lead the government’s charge for obligatory plain packaging of cigarettes, and Liberal Democrat MP Tessa Munt resigned her role as an advisor to Vince Cable after voting against the government’s [...]
After UK shale triumph, Scotland announces moratorium on shale gas projects January 28, 2015 The Scottish government has announced a moratorium on planning permission for shale gas projects, less than 24 hours after a crucial vote in the UK parliament had saved the sector in the rest of the UK from a similar plight. Last night MPs voted 308-52 against proposals to impose a moratorium across the whole of [...]
GMB and Unite unions helped save fracking from ban January 27, 2015 Two of Britain’s largest trade unions helped save the fracking industry from a ban on its activities that could have lasted for over two years. Anti-fracking campaigners said yesterday that unions pressured Labour MPs to abstain from a vote on Monday night that would have imposed a moratorium on the shale gas industry’s activities. Tessa [...]
Tessa Munt MP quits job as PPS to Vince Cable after fracking rebellion January 27, 2015 Lib Dem MP Tessa Munt has quit her job as an aide to Business Secretary Vince Cable after defying her party's whip. Munt voted against the government and supported a rebel amendment demanding a moratorium on the use of fracking. Another 52 MPs joined Munt to stop the use of fracking. The amendment was advanced [...]
Liberal Democrat MP Tessa Munt keeps government job despite voting against fracking January 27, 2015 Yesterday City A.M. revealed that a junior member of the coalition, Lib Dem Tessa Munt, was jeopardising her government role advising business secretary Vince Cable by continuing to push for a moratorium on fracking. The Somerset MP delivered a petition of 8,688 signatures against the shale gas exploration in her area to the Number 10 [...]