If you oppose the prospect of the Weald turning into an oil field, please consider voting for any party EXCEPT the Conservative party. The Conservative manifesto proposal to give 'permitted development rights' for 'non-fracking' onshore drilling would mean Cuadrilla and UKOG would rapidly be able to deface our countryside. Oil companies would not need planning permission to drill and acidise, yet acidising, like fracking, would require a great many wells across the Weald, would bring heavy traffic and the risk of pollution. What do the manifestos say about oil and gas? Conservative “Non-fracking drilling will be treated as permitted development, expert planning functions will be established to support local councils and, when necessary, major shale planning decisions will be made the responsibility of the National Planning Regime”. P23 (Please note “non-fracking” is a devious expression that allows fracking when less than 2.2 million gallons of fluid is used - following changes made to the law in the 2015 Infrastructure Act). See more information from Ruth Hayhurst: https://drillordrop.com/2017/05/18/conservatives-back-fracking-and-take-shale-decisions-away-from-local-councils/ Labour “Labour will ban fracking because it would lock us into an energy infrastructure based on fossil fuels, long after the point in 2030 when the Committee on Climate Change says gas in the UK must sharply decline”. P21 Liberal Democrats “Oppose ‘fracking’ because of its adverse impact on climate change, the energy mix, and the local environment.” P 48 Green Party “Replacing fracking, coal power stations, subsidies to fossil fuels and nuclear with the clean green efficient renewable energy of the future, and investing in community owned energy”. P9 UKIP “UKIP will not, however, allow drilling for shale in our national parks or other areas of outstanding natural beauty. The Conservatives may be prepared to do this, but we are not. We will always respect local environmental issues.” P57 Hustings There is a hustings on Wednesday in Horsham, details below: http://horshamct.org.uk/events/ Last election in the Horsham constituency LibDems came second behind the conservatives, but only beat Labour by 148 votes In Mid Sussex, Labour may be closer to beating the Conservatives than we have been lead to believe. See article below: http://www.midsussextimes.co.uk/news/survey-suggests-possible-voting-trends-across-south-east-1-7966306 Cuadrilla’s planning application Thank you to all those who responded to the consultation with the EA. Cuadrilla’s planning application to flow test and flare expired on 2nd May 2017. We have been informed by West Sussex County Council that Cuadrilla intend to apply for a new permission in September. If the Conservatives are back in power by then, Cuadrilla will need no planning permission. Environmental Waste Permit Consultation The Environment Agency have told FFBRA that it might take them three months to decide on Cuadrilla’s recent environmental waste permit application for Balcombe. That would take us to the end of July. Shale gas is worse for the climate than coal Below is an excellent article by Paul Mobbs explaining how the government's line that Shale is somehow a 'bridging fuel' to a low carbon economy is based on incorrect assumptions. Not least because it ignores the effects of methane, which is a much more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_analysis/2988975/whitehalls_fracking_science_failure_shale_gas_really_is_worse_for_climate_than_coal.html Broadford Bridge and Brockham At Broadford Bridge near Billingshurst, UKOG have installed their rig over the last week, unexpectedly, because the Environment Agency has not yet published details of the consultation on the Environmental Permit. As at Balcombe, the target at Broadford Bridge is now the Kimmeridge Limestone (or micrite) to be 'stimulated' with acid and other chemicals, but their planning permission is for extraction of gas from the Sherwood sandstone. Keep Billingshurst Frack Free are determined not to let this beautiful area become industrialized by fossil fuel extraction. Please come along and give your support to them at the Adversane Crossroads, outside the Blacksmith Arms (RH149JH). The group tend to meet on Saturdays between 2 and 4pm, but there is also a daily presence of protectors at the site, any support would be very welcome. https://www.facebook.com/groups/keepbillingshurstfrackfree/?fref=ts https://frackfreebillingshurst.com/ frackfreebillingshurst frackfreebillingshurst.com