Yorkshire is a “Sacrifice Zone” in new wave of fracking licences
On Tuesday 18th August, the Government announced a new round of PEDL licences, which allow companies to explore for conventional and unconventional oil and gas deposits – which would include fracking.
The announcement states that 27 licences will be formally offered to companies – these are shown in light green on the map above. These include Licence SE95, which is east of York, and has been purchased by Cuadrilla.
You can click on a hi-res version of the map on the link below, or here’s an online version.
A second group of 132 further blocks is subject to detailed assessment under the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2010. These are shown in dark green on the above map. This is now open for consultation. The consultation closes on 29th September and we will be posting further information about how to respond to this very soon.
You can also look at all the above licences in detail if you click on this link: PEDL Licences 14th Round. The bright red boundary is the area of the licence, and the dark red boundary is the ‘zone of impact’.
Frack Free Ryedale’s press release is shown below:
* * * FRACK FREE RYEDALE PRESS RELEASE * * *
YORKSHIRE NOW A FRACKING “SACRIFICE ZONE”
Today’s announcement by the Department of Energy and Climate Change is a black day for the North of England, which is now officially designated as a “sacrifice zone” in the Government’s reckless and unpopular drive towards fracking. News of new exploration licences all across Yorkshire – including much of the North York Moors National Park – will send shockwaves through many areas that have so far been free of the threat of fracking.
The effect of widespread fracking across Yorkshire would have a huge impact on the lives of rural communities all across the county, as their lives become blighted by endless HGV traffic, noisy drilling, air pollution, health impacts and threats to their water supplies. The region’s core industries of agriculture and tourism are also under serious threat as the government attempts to green-light the industrialisation of the countryside across Yorkshire.
The latest DECC survey on Public Attitudes showed that support for fracking was at an all-time low, with only 21% supporting the industry (compared to over 75% supporting renewable energy). A recent poll in the Yorkshire Post showed that 86% were against fracking, with only 14% supporting it (see right).The public understands the folly of starting a dangerous new fossil fuel industry at a time when the world is threatened by climate change, and the fight against fracking will only increase as more areas of the country are sold off to the fracking industry.
END
Jane Carter
August 18, 2015 at 16:37We have to fight to “keep it in the ground” not only to mitigate the potentially catastrophic changes which climate change is already bringing about but also to protect the natural beauty that is our North York Moors national park and Yorkshire’s countryside as a whole
moira smith
August 18, 2015 at 18:31What can be done to stop this ? What a joke democracy is and the joke is on us !
S. Steel
August 18, 2015 at 21:49This is potentially a real disaster for all of Yorkshire. The area under threat is huge and covers some of the most beautiful parts of the county. This will affect so many people’s lives its unbelievable that it could even start to go ahead with so little support from the public. We just don’t seem to matter at all to the Government. Time for people to wake up I think.
Ry
August 18, 2015 at 23:26Fortunately, our current Government’s stupidity and short-sightedness re the UK’s energy policy has resulted in at least one highly visible give-away re their attitude – by naming Yorkshire a “sacrifice zone” they’ve scored a spectacular own goal. Good to know what you *really* think of us, Cameron & Co, and thanks for the help – this should help gee up members of the public previously uninvolved in protest, into strenuous action!
edward raine
August 19, 2015 at 14:11Until now the controversial subject of fracking has been about environmental and social consequences, both at local and national level. Now, it seems, the Government is intent on embarking on a specifically geographical divisive strategy: Yorkshire as a “sacrifice zone” sounds very much like a command to a retreating army – you’ll have to look after yourselves. And that could lead to a very robust political reaction……….
Paul Smith
August 19, 2015 at 21:02What a reckless government led strategy ! We need to stop this from happening. Germany , France and the state of New York have all banned fracking and for good solid reasons, no 1 it can contaminate acquifers and pollute ground water. Why is this source of energy even considered a solution. Let’s put a stop to it and encouraged the govt to invest in clean renewable energy .
LA
August 25, 2015 at 19:52We can achieve great things the key to success is strength in numbers. This is completely wrong and undemocratic of the government. This is beyond politics, we are now fighting for so much more.
The people of all impacted areas should take action because this is no longer just a Ryedale issue we must let the government, MPs and councillors know we will not accept this. And for those not affected remember there is barely an area in England that has not got a square block upon it. Beware- the Bowland shale stretches from coast to coast and there other threats from fossil fuel extraction as well including CBM and the dreadful UCG along beautiful coastline. We mustn’t just sit and moan – we need to be active and join together to defeat these proposals. An industry cannot operate successfully if there is massive public opposition – even UKOOG recognise this. The ball is in our court despite the best efforts of this rotten government.
margie
October 12, 2015 at 16:29TTIP is already underway quite frankly and we are being distracted by campaigns supposedly to stop it and fracking, something to keep us kiddies occupied in the Wendy Corner while Big Bucks chasers and bankers dance on our heads and graves. Democracy is dead, or did any of you vote for this kind of sell off of our water supply on the global trading markets?
Barclays, aka Third Energy frackers responded to the cry for a frack moratorium agreed at KM North Yorks, with the statement:
“Responsible and internationally respected bodies and experts including (1 see below) Public Health England, the (2 see below)Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management and the Royal Society and the Royal Academy of Engineering, have all concluded that the risks of fracking can be managed in a well regulated environment, which we have in the UK. ”
1.Public Health England only began operating 1st April 2013
April Fools day???/ What??? ”Its formation came as a result of reorganisation of the National Health Service (NHS) in England outlined in the Health and Social Care Act 2012. It took on the role of the Health Protection Agency, the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse and a number of other health bodies.[1]”
So Fracking is about substance abuse…..must be a lot of stressed folk operating those drills…eh?
”Criticism and other published comment
Public Health England has been criticised for its underweighting of mental health within its overall resourcing and agenda; in 2011 the Royal College of Psychiatrists stated its concern that there appeared to be “few, or no, commitments or resources within either the Department of Health or Public Health England to take the public mental health agenda forward.”[7]
The agency was criticised by Professor Martin McKee, in January 2014, who said that continuing health inequalities among London boroughs was a scandal and claimed coalition reforms had left it unclear who was supposed to analyse health data and tackle the problems highlighted.[8]”
”Major water industry dept based at Quarry House Skipton ( and referred to on the KM8 application to frack by Barclays and Cuadkilla)
Ministers:- Secretary of State for Health Minister of State for Health Minister of State for Care and Support Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Quality
Executive agencies:- Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency Public Health England
Executive Non-departmental public bodies:- Care Quality Commission Health and Social Care Information Centre Health Education England Health Research Authority Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority Human Tissue Authority Monitor National Institute for Health and Care Excellence NHS England NHS Blood and Transplant NHS Business Services Authority NHS Litigation Authority NHS Trust Development Authority
2.Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management
The Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) is an independent professional body and a registered charity in the United Kingdom that works internationally to advance the science and practice of water resource management and environmental resource management for sustainability.[1] It is licensed by the Science Council to award Chartered Scientist[2] and Chartered Environmentalist[3] status to qualifying members. It is a member of the Society for the Environment.
The organisation was formed in 1987 when the Institution of Public Health Engineers, the Institution of Water Engineers and Scientists, and the Institute of Water Pollution Control merged. It was granted a Royal Charter in 1995.[1]”
Wow take a look at these sponsors of British water: Balmoral and Byrne Looby:
http://www.britishwater.co.uk/
and look at all those business interests just waiting for our fracked water supplies already on its way….Anyone aware of how the rug….sorry our water is being pulled out from under our feet? Given the Balmoral link to sponsoring the global sales of our water, this explains the involvement of Royal Soc and Ac of eng……so wont bother looking them up them!
Are any members going along to this meeting which involves issues connected to water supplies dominated and owned by United Utlities (water corporate for Cumbria and Lancashire) Other meetings for Yorkshire water not yet been described but a meeting in Leeds coming up, do take a look here at how more valuable is your water supply, fracking could be related to this industry rather than, errrrr…..ummmmmm fracking http://www.britishwater.co.uk/events/other-industry-events.aspx
http://www.britishwater.co.uk/events/british-water-and-united-utilities-and-its-cdps-innovation-excha-126.aspx
British water is much in demand which may be why we folk are being engineered into drinking less of it, if it can be sold off abroad at a higher rate than we are paying for it. Given Fylde were recently told to drink less water due to chlostridium difiscile presence in water supplies, and Ryedale have been told to drink less water too I understand, may be we need to look at who exactly is using all that water missing from Coniston, Derwent Water etc, rivers and waterfalls around the Lakes and beyond, and why were United Utilities looking at bringing water from Cockermouth with farmers in the Lakes angry about missing supplies that once fed their livelihood?
Is it just me or is this whole frack business a smoke screen for global trade of our water supply?
TTIP is already being delivered, so what exactly are we being asked to campaign against?
Ever been had?
DAVID MUSCROFT
October 29, 2016 at 16:54MUSCROFT
Isn’t it about time that we Brits stopped being so polite ?
My family and I faced the threat of a huge wind turbine 150 yards away from the nearest house in our tiny village of less than 20 homes on the edge of The Peak District. We protested, and for whatever reason the project went quiet and went away.
BUT…… my first thought was ; “no real point in protesting unless you are ultimately prepared to lie down in front of the lorries, block the roads etc” . If Boris Johnson can express that kind of thought about Heathrow then why not everybody else ? Country roads are really easy to block, seems to me. You wouldn’t even need to break the law, just organise a non-stop car presence on every approach road to a site and then pretend not to be able to reverse !
My interest here is that we are now thinking of buying a house in Ryedale ! So, maybe, here we go again !!
I agree with all the thoughts above, but sooner or later its just not worth playing the game by others’ rules !