The public meeting in Dover last night was very well attended, Some excellent presentations on the impact of fracking on the environment. Guston and Sheperherdswell Parish Councils have both voted against the exploratory drilling applications. Local campaign groups are growing from strength to strength and communities are mobilising against gas extraction in their areas. Even local MP Charlie Elphicke, a supporter of fracking, has decided to oppose the applications for exploratory drilling at Guston, Shepherdswell and Tilmanstone.
The big news is that KCC has delayed the decision date for the 3 drilling apparently. Apparently they have received an unprecedented number of objections to the plans and the Environment Agency and others have raised some extremely serious question about the safety and environmental impact of Coastal Oil and Gas' proposals. KCC has now asked the company to provide more detailed information about their plans and processes and they are expecting this to lead to "significantly changed plans". The Kent Green Party totally opposes fracking. There is no way of making it safe. Fracking in East Kent runs the risk of polluting the chalk aquifers which the people of Ashford, Dover, Canterbury and Thanet depend on for their water.
Finally, KCC was caught out by the Kent Green Party for investing £153 million of its pension fund into fracking companies. Surely there must be conflict of interest by investing in companies you grant planning permission to? Apparently KCC doesn't think so. Just look at their record on tobacco. They are tasked with the job of reducing smoking in Kent, but invest more £12million in tobacco companies. When a senior public health manager speaks out against this conflict of interest on Radio Kent KCC threaten to discipline her! You can't make this stuff up.
well done ian, thank you for keeping the pressure on them, ya canny take ya eyes off them for one second eh! im sorry i couldnt attend this meeting, but i was at the planning meeting at TDC, watching as the slipways in ramsgate gets changed to a restaurant, (conflict here is Mr £ owns the customs house and rents it to RTC, who are also on planning) and the haine road development ( which is owned by tdc and kcc under another name of EKO) being deferred to full council.
Dover Public Meeting 
well done ian,
ReplyDeletethank you for keeping the pressure on them, ya canny take ya eyes off them for one second eh!
im sorry i couldnt attend this meeting, but i was at the planning meeting at TDC, watching as the slipways in ramsgate gets changed to a restaurant, (conflict here is Mr £ owns the customs house and rents it to RTC, who are also on planning) and the haine road development ( which is owned by tdc and kcc under another name of EKO) being deferred to full council.