Stroud Green Party are urging people to respond to the County Council’s draft ‘Minerals Local Plan’ which is now open to public consultation until November 24.
The plan looks favourably upon fracking (called ‘unconventional oil and gas development’), following the line taken by the Government. If the draft is approved this would mean that fracking applications between 2018 and 2032 will be regarded favourably.
The Green Party has been the only party that believes that hydraulic fracturing (fracking) of shale gas should form no part of the UK energy mix. There are significant concerns about the potential environmental and health risks and it is incompatible with the UK’s commitment to keeping climate change below 2 degrees Celsius.
Sarah Lunnon, Green County Councillor for Stroud Central commented: “The Green Party is clear that our energy future must lie with the rapid investment in both energy conservation and new renewable capacity. This offers a clean, safe energy future and would create many thousands of jobs”.
You can read the County Council consultation on the Draft Minerals Local Plan here; please see page 25 in reference to fracking. You will need to register to take the survey.
The most obvious threat in Gloucestershire has been to the Forest of Dean, where the campaign group Frack Off Our Forest have been active in opposing it. Owen Adams from that group has written an article specifically on challenging the Gloucestershire minerals local plan.