Today's Sunday Times reports that National parks and commons are to be opened up for fracking.
The article specifically mentions Steatham, and underlines the intention expressed by Boris Johnson last year, that fracking takes place in the London area.
It reports that the Department for Energy and Climate Change is about to issue a new round of licences. One license covering the south of Streatham has already been issued. As we have previously reported, the consultation on a licence covering the rest of Streatham finished at the end of March.
It is also becoming increasingly clear that planning laws may not be enough to stop fracking taking place. That is why Lambeth Council needs to identify what powers it has to stop it.
Showing posts with label fracking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fracking. Show all posts
Sunday, 11 May 2014
Wednesday, 12 March 2014
Lambeth Council has made no statement opposing fracking - despite claims
It has emerged today that claims Lambeth Council had made a statement/ had a position that it would not allow fracking in Streatham (or anywhere else in Lambeth) are untrue.
Lambeth Council Cabinet member Imogen Walker posted this tweet in response to the petition encouraging Lambeth to become a "no fracking zone" like Brent has done (this would mean that should anyone seek permission to conduct exploratory fracking in Lambeth, the council would have established what powers it had to prevent it - such as refusal of planning permission - and would have a formal policy of opposing it).
This is what Cllr Walker said:
Further to that, an article appeared in the South London Press (we can't find it online) saying that Lambeth had said "no" to fracking.
Streatham Labour Party also said that Lambeth Council had said "no" to fracking.
However, a Freedom of Information Request by a member of the public (who is not a member of any political party as far as I am aware) has revealed that in fact Lambeth has made no public statements about fracking at all. It has taken no legal advice. It has no policy, as many residents suspected.
This is important because London Mayor Boris Johnson has made his support for fracking under London clear, the Government is offering "bribes" (in the way of business rates) to local authorities to support fracking which will seem very attractive in tight financial times, and fracking is coming ever closer to Lambeth. It can take place in urban areas and the pressure will only grow with the looming energy crisis. A licence which would permit exploratory fracking covering the south part of Streatham has already been issued and there is currently a Government consultation underway to issue a licence covering the rest of Streatham (ends 28th March).
There are two possible responses. The first is for the council to bury its head in the sand and hope no one ever applies for planning permission for exploratory fracking anywhere in Lambeth. The second is to follow the lead of other London boroughs like Brent, make its position clear, and look at what powers it might have to stop it.
Quite why Lambeth Labour has got itself into such a mess about this is still unclear and it still has a lot of questions to answer. But it should now do the right thing and make sure it gets a policy in place to deal with whatever the future may bring.
The petition for Lambeth to declare itself a "no fracking zone" is almost at 1,000 signatures.
You can see if your address is covered by a licence which would permit fracking here.
Lambeth Council Cabinet member Imogen Walker posted this tweet in response to the petition encouraging Lambeth to become a "no fracking zone" like Brent has done (this would mean that should anyone seek permission to conduct exploratory fracking in Lambeth, the council would have established what powers it had to prevent it - such as refusal of planning permission - and would have a formal policy of opposing it).
This is what Cllr Walker said:
Further to that, an article appeared in the South London Press (we can't find it online) saying that Lambeth had said "no" to fracking.
Streatham Labour Party also said that Lambeth Council had said "no" to fracking.
However, a Freedom of Information Request by a member of the public (who is not a member of any political party as far as I am aware) has revealed that in fact Lambeth has made no public statements about fracking at all. It has taken no legal advice. It has no policy, as many residents suspected.
This is important because London Mayor Boris Johnson has made his support for fracking under London clear, the Government is offering "bribes" (in the way of business rates) to local authorities to support fracking which will seem very attractive in tight financial times, and fracking is coming ever closer to Lambeth. It can take place in urban areas and the pressure will only grow with the looming energy crisis. A licence which would permit exploratory fracking covering the south part of Streatham has already been issued and there is currently a Government consultation underway to issue a licence covering the rest of Streatham (ends 28th March).
There are two possible responses. The first is for the council to bury its head in the sand and hope no one ever applies for planning permission for exploratory fracking anywhere in Lambeth. The second is to follow the lead of other London boroughs like Brent, make its position clear, and look at what powers it might have to stop it.
Quite why Lambeth Labour has got itself into such a mess about this is still unclear and it still has a lot of questions to answer. But it should now do the right thing and make sure it gets a policy in place to deal with whatever the future may bring.
The petition for Lambeth to declare itself a "no fracking zone" is almost at 1,000 signatures.
You can see if your address is covered by a licence which would permit fracking here.
Friday, 7 March 2014
Friday Fun: An apology to Streatham Conservatives
They have been discussing it excitedly on twitter.
However we can happily confirm there is in fact no fracking rig on the Common (although we should add that it would be visible from a 4 x 4 driving along the road by the side of the Common).
It is true that a Conservative Government has issued a licence which would permit exploratory fracking in the South of Streatham. It is also true that the Government is currently consulting on a licence that would cover the rest of Streatham. We are also aware that there is significant support among Conservatives for fracking locally. However, for this to happen several consents need to be obtained, including permission from Lambeth Council (which is why we have launched this petition asking Lambeth to identify the powers that it has in order to oppose it).
The original picture is of some of us standing on Streatham Common. But as Streatham Conservatives have now astutely deduced after trawling the internet, the fracking rig isn't actually there on the Common. It was added to illustrate the potential impact on the area in the event fracking went ahead.
We should point out that no other residents have been in touch to ask where the fracking rig is. Nevertheless, we understand that the absence of an actual rig on the Common will be a disappointment to Streatham Conservatives.
To cheer them up here are some other pictures we took while we were there at the Common a few weeks ago.
(More info on fracking and a link to the petition here)
(We also stopped by the new Leisure Centre opposite the Common to highlight the low pay of employees there where we bumped into council leader Lib Peck. Sadly, she didn't stick around for a photo).
Monday, 24 February 2014
A very disappointing response about exploratory fracking in Streatham
We were hopeful that the campaign asking Lambeth to follow the example of other boroughs like Brent and Waltham Forest and declare itself a "No Fracking Zone" would be cross party. We said as much publicly. We were also very careful not to criticise the council, or the Labour Party which run it, but to encourage them to make a positive response. However, today Lambeth Labour Party put out a press release attacking Streatham Green Party.
The background to the issue can be found here. In summary, a licence has been issued by the Government which would allow exploratory fracking in the South Streatham area. The Government is also consulting on another licence covering the rest of Streatham (the consultation ends on 28th March). You can see if your home is in the area by visiting this website and entering your postcode.
No site has been identified, and consent would be required from Lambeth Council for it to go ahead, and that is why we launched a petition asking the Council to take action. The Government only issues licences on the basis that exploration will go ahead. With Government offering money to local councils, and London Mayor Boris Johnson saying he wants fracking to take place under London, we think Lambeth should rule fracking out now as other local authorities in London have done (see Brent's reasoning here which involves a commitment to look at the powers it might have to stop fracking in the future).
The petition launched a week ago has already gained a lot of local support. Initially the signs were good that this would be a cross-party campaign. Streatham Labour party acknowledged that:
"There has rightly been growing concern amongst residents that fracking could come close to – or even effect – urban areas, including Streatham."
They rightly pointed out, as we did, that a number of criteria would need to be met for fracking to go ahead - including Local Authority consent. They also claimed that Lambeth Council had ruled it out. Good news, we thought. We had been straight with both the council and local people, and we hoped the Council had responded accordingly. We asked for the source of the information - a policy paper, council decision or document, anything in fact - but nothing was forthcoming.
It was at this point that it emerged that the Council had known for months about the licence. It also emerged that no discussion had ever taken place in committee, council, or anywhere else. There was no "policy" after all. This was a just a comment made to a journalist by a council member. There was no official statement or other documentation. Fracking hadn't actually ever formally been addressed.
Whether this was a source of embarrassment to Lambeth Labour Party isn't clear. Labour Councillors may have suddenly realised that they had disclosed commercially sensitive information to their Party (that Lambeth might try to ban fracking) before any discussion in council or committee had taken place, and before any official Council statement on the subject had been made. A political row would certainly distract from this. Or it may just be that Lambeth Labour were embarrassed by the fact that they had failed to tell local residents about something so important. We just don't know.
Whatever the reason, many questions still remain unanswered:
1. Can Lambeth Council provide any official documents at all to show that it has assessed the possibility of fracking and its potential impact in Lambeth?
2. Has Lambeth Council made any assessment of what sites might be considered for exploratory fracking?
3. Has Lambeth Council taken any legal advice about how it might block fracking?
4. Why won't Lambeth Council follow the example of other boroughs and declare Lambeth a "Frack-Free Zone" ?
5. Why didn't Lambeth Council inform local people about the licence? Why hasn't it also, even now, told local people about the consultation concerning the new licence covering the rest of Streatham?
6. Why hasn't Lambeth Council told local people that the Government only issues licences on the basis that exploration will take place?
7. Does Lambeth Labour party no longer consider that Streatham residents are right to be concerned about the impact of fracking in Streatham?
8. Has Lambeth Council had any contact with Northdown Energy who own the licence covering the South of Streatham, or Alamo Energy their partner?
One thing is absolutely clear. The response of both Lambeth Council and Lambeth Labour Party has been a shambles, and will do nothing to reassure people in Streatham (without publication of both a proper council policy and legal advice). Councillors should be straight, open and transparent with local people, stop playing politics with fracking and table a formal council motion to declare Lambeth a 'Frack Free Zone'.
The background to the issue can be found here. In summary, a licence has been issued by the Government which would allow exploratory fracking in the South Streatham area. The Government is also consulting on another licence covering the rest of Streatham (the consultation ends on 28th March). You can see if your home is in the area by visiting this website and entering your postcode.
No site has been identified, and consent would be required from Lambeth Council for it to go ahead, and that is why we launched a petition asking the Council to take action. The Government only issues licences on the basis that exploration will go ahead. With Government offering money to local councils, and London Mayor Boris Johnson saying he wants fracking to take place under London, we think Lambeth should rule fracking out now as other local authorities in London have done (see Brent's reasoning here which involves a commitment to look at the powers it might have to stop fracking in the future).
The petition launched a week ago has already gained a lot of local support. Initially the signs were good that this would be a cross-party campaign. Streatham Labour party acknowledged that:
"There has rightly been growing concern amongst residents that fracking could come close to – or even effect – urban areas, including Streatham."
They rightly pointed out, as we did, that a number of criteria would need to be met for fracking to go ahead - including Local Authority consent. They also claimed that Lambeth Council had ruled it out. Good news, we thought. We had been straight with both the council and local people, and we hoped the Council had responded accordingly. We asked for the source of the information - a policy paper, council decision or document, anything in fact - but nothing was forthcoming.
It was at this point that it emerged that the Council had known for months about the licence. It also emerged that no discussion had ever taken place in committee, council, or anywhere else. There was no "policy" after all. This was a just a comment made to a journalist by a council member. There was no official statement or other documentation. Fracking hadn't actually ever formally been addressed.
Whether this was a source of embarrassment to Lambeth Labour Party isn't clear. Labour Councillors may have suddenly realised that they had disclosed commercially sensitive information to their Party (that Lambeth might try to ban fracking) before any discussion in council or committee had taken place, and before any official Council statement on the subject had been made. A political row would certainly distract from this. Or it may just be that Lambeth Labour were embarrassed by the fact that they had failed to tell local residents about something so important. We just don't know.
Whatever the reason, many questions still remain unanswered:
1. Can Lambeth Council provide any official documents at all to show that it has assessed the possibility of fracking and its potential impact in Lambeth?
2. Has Lambeth Council made any assessment of what sites might be considered for exploratory fracking?
3. Has Lambeth Council taken any legal advice about how it might block fracking?
4. Why won't Lambeth Council follow the example of other boroughs and declare Lambeth a "Frack-Free Zone" ?
5. Why didn't Lambeth Council inform local people about the licence? Why hasn't it also, even now, told local people about the consultation concerning the new licence covering the rest of Streatham?
6. Why hasn't Lambeth Council told local people that the Government only issues licences on the basis that exploration will take place?
7. Does Lambeth Labour party no longer consider that Streatham residents are right to be concerned about the impact of fracking in Streatham?
8. Has Lambeth Council had any contact with Northdown Energy who own the licence covering the South of Streatham, or Alamo Energy their partner?
One thing is absolutely clear. The response of both Lambeth Council and Lambeth Labour Party has been a shambles, and will do nothing to reassure people in Streatham (without publication of both a proper council policy and legal advice). Councillors should be straight, open and transparent with local people, stop playing politics with fracking and table a formal council motion to declare Lambeth a 'Frack Free Zone'.
Thursday, 13 February 2014
Sign the petition to stop Streatham being fracked
The information is contained in the latest House of Commons briefing note on fracking issued in January.
The Government is also currently consulting on issuing a licence covering the rest of Streatham as part of its 14th licensing round. The consultation ends on 28th March.
The Government only issues licenses of this kind on the understanding that exploration for oil and gas goes ahead.
If you want to see whether your address is in the potential fracking area you can visit this website here and enter your postcode.
Two other companies - Eurenergy Resource Corporation and Celtique Energie – have announced plans to drill for shale gas elsewhere in the same Basin.
Director of Northdown Energy Alexander MacDonald previously worked in the North Sea for both Conoco and Chevron. The company has formed a partnership with Alamo Energy, a US based company with several large scale fracking projects across the US.
No site has yet been identified to frack, which is why Lambeth should be declared a frack-free zone now. Planning permission would be required for the fracking to go ahead, so the local authority has the power to block it.
The pressure to frack is only going to grow. Boris Johnson said in July last year he wanted fracking to take place under London (it already takes place around cities in the US) and the Government is introducing business rate subsidies to encourage local authorities to back it.
Fracking is an industrial process requiring hundreds of lorries, millions of gallons of water and thousands of chemicals, with huge threats to air quality and water contamination. Dangerously high levels of cancer-causing benzene has been found in the air of towns in Dallas near drilling wells. An average of 400 tanker trucks are required to carry water and supplies to and from the site. Not only does this lead to a huge increase in traffic but it also causes significant damage to roads. It would also likely scupper any chance of bringing the tube to Streatham.
People have no rights to benefit financially from the hydrocarbons under their land. There is a growing consensus that it won't bring about significant cuts in energy prices either, despite all the initial hype.
Please sign the petition urging Lambeth Council to declare Lambeth a "Frack-Free Zone" here.
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