This letter, from Balcombe resident Malcolm Kenward, is of urgent importance to ANY people living in a PEDL area - Those in the same PEDL as Balcombe are residents of: Ansty, Ardingly, Balcombe, Bolney, Bolnore Village, Chailey Common, Cowfold, Crabtree, Cuckfield, Dane Hill, Goddards Green, Haywards Heath, Hickstead, Horsted Keynes, Lindfield, Lower Beeding, Mannings Heath, Old Wivelsfield, Scaynes Hill, Staplefield, Walstead, Wivelsfield Green, World’s End. … who are possibly unaware that they live in Cuadrilla’s licence area 244 (see the map below). Depending on the result of the general election, it could soon become all too easy for Cuadrilla to drill multiple wells in this area. It’s not just about Balcombe! PLEASE HELP US TO GET THE WORD OUT BEFORE THURSDAY – THIS ELECTION IS NOT JUST ABOUT BREXIT! IT HAS SERIOUS IMPLICATIONS FOR OIL AND GAS POLICY – AND THE DRILL COULD BE HEADING YOUR WAY! Dear supporter, Cuadrilla’s licence to explore for oil and gas does not limit them just to Balcombe. Their PEDL244 (Petroleum Exploration and Development Licence) covers a far wider area than you may think. Cuadrilla could drill, then acidise or frack, anywhere in the area shown on the map below. If you live in or near any of the towns and villages listed, then you might be next. Similar PEDL licence areas exist right across the South as well as elsewhere in the UK; all of these are now under increased risk. Since the launch of the Conservative party manifesto for the 2017 general election the risk of a great many wells being drilled across the Weald has increased dramatically. Here’s the extract from the Conservative manifesto where they reveal their plans for facilitating oil and gas exploration: “We shall legislate to change planning law for shale applications. 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 responsibly of the National Planning Regime”. If the Conservative Party gains a majority in the Commons after the general election this Thursday, the requirement to consult on oil and gas planning applications with local communities and local councils will be removed by the government so that onshore oil and gas developments can be fast tracked. Immediate plans for oil and gas exploration in the Weald count as ‘non-fracking’ and ‘conventional’ since the government re-defined these terms in recent years. Under a new Conservative government, planning permission for an oil well will require no more scrutiny by local planners than a dormer window or a shed, and will not be open to public consultation. To-date, this part of the Conservative manifesto has failed to make the main stream media and therefore very few people will be aware of this increased risk to our environment. Meanwhile, Labour, the Lib Dems and the Greens all oppose fracking – as does the Something New party in the Horsham constituency. If you value our countryside and are generally a Conservative voter, I urge you to consider whether a vote for the Conservative party at this election is the right thing to do, for you, your children, your grandchildren and for future generations. I urge you all to share this information with your family, friends and neighbours, especially those who live in the licence area, but elsewhere in the country too. Everyone should be made aware of this. Please feel free to forward this email/link. Pedl 244 https://drillordrop.com/pedl244/ Pedl List https://drillordrop.com/pedl-list/ https://ukogl.org.uk/map/?e=-62359,6593494,29366,6652503&l=0,1351,0&sm=true&b=2 Conservative manifesto https://www.conservatives.com/manifesto With my best wishes, Malcolm Kenward Balcombe