Kent Green
Party has welcomed the decision of Coastal Oil and Gas Ltd to withdraw its
planning applications for exploratory gas drilling at Guston, Shepherdswell and
Tilmanstone in East Kent.
Thanet Green
Party Councillor, and member of campaign group East Kent Against Fracking, Ian
Driver, said: “The applications have been withdrawn because of overwhelming
opposition. Four Parish Councils have voted against the drilling. The
Environment Agency, countryside charity CPRE-Protect Kent and Dover MP Charlie
Elphicke have all raised serious doubts about the plans. But most importantly local communities near to
the drilling sites have organised their own campaign groups which have raised
awareness about the dangers of the plans and encouraged people to object. Kent County Council has now received literally
hundreds of objections from local residents. This fantastic example of people
power has been the decisive factor in forcing Coastal Oil and Gas to withdraw.”
But Driver
warned against complacency. “It is very likely that Coastal Oil and Gas will
re-submit applications in 2014 which will attempt to address the issues raised
by the objections. So people need to be ready to resume opposition and get back
on the campaign trail. The Green Party is the only national political party to
oppose the extraction of shale and coal bed methane gas and associated fracking
processes. We will have parliamentary and local council candidates in place by then,
who will work tirelessly with local residents to oppose drilling for gas in
East Kent.”
If the concerns of people are adequately addressed, why would they then need to object? Surely the point is that the process of fracking has implications for water quality and po0ssible seismic movement. If those fears are allayed with sound scientific proof than why object? This country certainly needs to finding alternative and cheaper sources of energy if we are to be able to keep the lights on.
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