In Kent only two
sites, one to the west and one to the east of the county, are currently
licensed for oil and gas exploration. But Driver warns that maps produced by
the Department of Energy and Climate Change (2) show that “every last square
inch of Kent’s land will be brought under the PEDL licensing scheme”, allowing companies such as Cuadrilla, notorious for its Balcombe drilling site, to
purchase exploration rights anywhere in the county, providing they have the
permission of the landowner.”
The Government
predicts a strong interest in the licence sales, especially in the South East.
In a recent interview with the Telegraph, Sevenoaks MP and Minister of State
for Energy, Michael Fallon, said that significant reserves of shale gas are
likely to be found “right across the South. We’re talking about Wiltshire,
Hampshire, Surrey, Sussex, into Kent” and that “households right across the
South should prepare for gas fracking to begin in their areas (3)”.
Government
reassurances that, if properly regulated, controversial fracking techniques can
be carried out without danger are hotly disputed by Driver, who said: “There is
strong and compelling evidence emerging from countries such as the USA and
Australia, where fracking has been taking place for some time, that such
procedures can never be carried out safely.
“Even the
Government’s own Environmental Assessment highlights the dangers of fracking, including the astronomical demand
for billions of cubic metres of water, much of which will become polluted by
the extraction process, the danger to underground drinking water supplies (especially
in Kent where 70% of drinking water comes from underground sources), the huge number of additional vehicle movements and congestion
in the countryside, where many drilling rigs will be located, and the noise and
atmospheric pollution associated with this process (4).”
Despite the large
financial incentives, Driver predicts strong opposition to the expansion of gas
exploration and extraction in Kent. “In East Kent, exploration company Coastal
Oil and Gas Ltd was recently forced, by overwhelming public opposition, to
withdraw three planning applications for exploratory drilling at Guston,
Shepherdswell and Tilmanstone (5). Planning authority Kent County Council was
inundated by hundreds of objections from local residents and all four Parish
Councils covering the proposed drilling sites voted to oppose the plans.
“I expect to
see many more examples of people power and community opposition developing
across Kent and the rest of south-east England as the new licences are sold and
planning applications to drill are submitted. Whatever the Government might
say, and no matter how much they try to bribe local communities, most people
don’t want their villages and towns disrupted and devastated by fracking, or
the security of their water supplies put at risk. It’s too high a price to pay.
“The Green
Party is the only national political party to oppose the extraction of shale
and coal bed methane gas and the use of fracking processes. We will work with
local communities across Kent to fight plans for drilling for gas.”
Notes
1. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/local-councils-to-receive-millions-in-business-rates-from-shale-gas-developments2. Map attached to this e-mail
4. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/266332/two_page_synopsis.PDF
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