Parliamentary Committee approves weaker Fracking rules - Greenpeace

31 October 2015

Hannah Martin  -  Greenpeace blog  3 November:

With public support for fracking at an all time low, you could be forgiven for think that the government might start to reconsider its plan to force drilling on towns and communities across the country. But no. Because just last week, a small committee MPs rubber-stamped regulations that will weaken the level of protection given to special areas of the English countryside from the impacts of fracking.

These rules would permit drilling underneath protected areas, despite a pledge before the election from Amber Rudd, the energy secretary, to have an outright ban on fracking in national parks, sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs) and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

During the committee, the 18 MPs present narrowly voted in favour of the weakened regulations -- 10 for, and 8 against. And though this isn't the result we were hoping for, the result was still close. The good news is that in the coming weeks we have another chance to defeat the government's plan. Before the regulations can be approved once and for all, more of our MPs will get to vote on them. That's why we've just launched an urgent campaign asking more MPs to object to the regulations being approved.

Other comments

Rowena Mason  -  Guardian  27 October:
Ministers accused of trying to sneak through new fracking rules

Adam Vaughan  -  Guardian 4 November:
UK government axes plans for fracking in protected nature sites