Shale Gas Exploration to be ‘Permitted development’ – Communities, Campaigners and politicians Unite to condemn Tory manifesto support for fracking.

We condemn the green light given to the shale gas industry in the Tory manifesto and we urge you to reconsider the attack on our right to say NO.

The Conservative manifesto makes it clear that they intend to take decisions on shale gas drilling plans out of local control and allow drilling not involving fracking to be considered as permitted development without the need for planning permission and allow major shale planning decisions to be made by a government minister rather than a local council planning committee.

“The Tory manifesto is a car crash for communities and the environment. They are giving a blank cheque to the fracking companies, allowing them to trample on communities across the country. The companies will use the dubious definition of fracking in the infrastructure act, relating to the amount of water used in the process, to ‘frack’ in our back yards. This must have alarm bells ringing for everyone who believes in democracy.”

“The manifesto shows a complete failure to take climate change seriously. It has never been more urgent to increase our use of renewable energy and yet the Tories are backing using more fossil fuels and fracking. The environment and our countryside is simply not safe in their hands.

 “We call on ALL politicians from ALL parties to stand up, be counted and join us.  This is an attack on the rights of the people. We must have the right to say NO and stop our communities being rail-roaded into accepting fracking.”

Letter to conservative MP Mark Menzies from conservative voter - https://www.frackfreeunited.org/fracking-news/