At the Winchester City Council meeting earlier this week, Councillors voted to:
1) Oppose as a matter of council policy any initiatives to develop fracking for shale gas.
2) To respond to the County Council’s consultation on the refreshed Minerals and
Waste Plan stating our opposition the extraction of oil and gas, including by fracking.
Cllr Wallace stated: “The construction of new fossil fuel infrastructure and expanded reliance on fossil fuels exposes our communities to untenable risks to public health and safety at the local and global levels, whilst failing to provide relief to those struggling with fuel bills as the tiny contribution such activity would make to the world market would not affect prices.
The economic opportunities presented by a clean energy transition far outweigh the opportunities presented by an economy supported by expanding fossil fuel use and extraction. “Whilst the Minerals and Waste policy in Hampshire is set by the County Council, the motion ensures that a clear message is sent to both the Government and to Hampshire County Council that Winchester Council is committed to a just energy transition to a low carbon economy. Any proposal to support or allow fracking, or the extraction of oil or gas in any form, goes against Winchester City Council’s plan and the Council’s Climate Emergency declaration.”Cllr. Malcolm Wallace’s introduction to the Motion in full:
“The motion before the Council today is two-fold. Firstly, to oppose as a matter of council policy any initiatives to develop fracking for shale gas. Secondly, to respond to the County Council’s consultation on the refreshed Minerals and Waste Plan stating our opposition to fracking and to the extraction of oil and gas.
Current Government policy is for a moratorium (or temporary prohibition) on fracking. However, as we have seen over the past few months, the Government position in this areais fluid. Therefore, it is important that this Council confirms Winchester’s position.
As you are aware, fracking is a way of extracting gas or oil which is trapped inside rocks. To get the gas or oil out, the rock has to be fractured. A mixture of water, sand and chemicals is pumped down the well at very high pressure. This fractures the rock and, when the pressure is released, the gas or oil flows back up the well.
Click to watch Malcolm presenting his Motion to the Council in full (youtube)
There are many risks surrounding fracking:
Fracking risks contaminating water supplies – In England, groundwater is used to supply a third of our drinking water. According to the British Geological Survey,
“Groundwater may be potentially contaminated by extraction of shale gas both from the constituents of shale gas itself, from the formulation and deep injection of water containing a cocktail of additives used for hydraulic fracturing and from flowback water which may have a high content of saline formation water.”
Fracking poses risks to public heath – In the UK, 20 leading medical experts
wrote to the British Medical Journal stating that “the arguments against fracking on
public health grounds are overwhelming”.
Fracking poses a risk to the local environment – The area of landscape disturbed
by fracking is typically 8 to 11 times that of conventional gas drilling.
A draft Government report states that “shale gas development may transform a previously pristine and quiet natural region, bringing increased industrialisation”.
Fracking does not lead to a jobs boom – The 6-year proposed fracking project in
Lancashire was anticipated to create just 11 jobs at each of the two sites, according to the fracking company’s application. This includes on-site, indirect supply chain and induced effects.
Fracking is unlikely to reduce energy bills – Even Lord Browne, the former
chairman of fracking firm Cuadrilla, said that UK shale gas would not have a material impact on gas prices.
Fracking in the UK has triggered many small earthquakes – More than 120
tremors were recorded during drilling at a Cuadrilla site in Blackpool, including one
which lasted almost 100 hours.
Finally, and most importantly, fracking is incompatible with tackling climate
change. And this is the point that ties to the second part of the motion regarding
opposing oil and gas development in our area.
Policy 24 of the draft Minerals and Waste Plan states that: Oil and gas development will be supported subject to environmental and amenity considerations. Frankly this position (even with the caveats) is shocking.
In May 2019 the UK Government declared a Climate Emergency. In June 2019 Hampshire County Council declared a Climate Emergency. And yet both groups are still producingpolicies that are contrary to these declarations.
Last summer, the High Court found the UK Government’s climate strategy unlawful as it doesn’t show how the UK’s legally-binding carbon budgets (our Net Zero commitment) will be met. Now we have Hampshire County Council carrying on with a business as normal approach, ignoring the basic requirements for decarbonising our economy.
Scientists agree that if we are to avoid dangerous levels of global warming, the majority of fossil fuel reserves need to stay in the ground. At the same time, the Government’s own net zero review that was published last week identified the massive opportunities to both the economy and to communities from switching to clean, green energy.
There is absolutely no justification for further oil and gas development, and it is time that policies are put in place to support the transition that is needed.
I propose this motion to Council and hope you will support it.”
