Last April, Manchester Friends of the Earth expected Salford Council's Cabinet to have a full and frank discussion about fracking, after its members had handed in a petition containing over 3,000 names opposing the controversial shale gas extraction in Salford. Instead, they got five minutes to state their case (see previous Salford Star article click here) and then heard nothing for the next eight months
In October, fed up Manchester Friends of the Earth launched a Twitter storm aimed at City Mayor Ian Stewart...
The suggested tweets were...
@MayorofSalford Six months ago, 3,000+ people asked @SalfordCouncil to go #frackfree. Where's our #fracking answer?
@MayorofSalford Six months on and not a tweet the people of Salford demand a response to our #fracking petition
Today, they finally got a response from Salford Council which said virtually nothing new.Listing the Council's eco-friendly initiatives, the missive then stated that "The debate has to be about energy policy at its broadest level, and the way in which this either helps or hinders greenhouse gas emissions, it should not be a single issue debate about fracking".
The response went on to say that the Council isn't clear whether IGas is intending to put in a fracking application... "certainly they have given no indication that that will be their next move..."...but "If we face proposals from IGas then we will consider them in the light of all the facts at the time, including the regulatory framework within which we have to operate, and we will welcome real debate and discussion within a context where we will have to fully understand all the evidence before us. Until that time the debate remains theoretical..."
And even when that times comes, "it should not be a single issue debate about fracking".
Expect an application from IGas in the New Year...
* Read the full Salford Council response...
"In April the City Council received a petition which asked Salford City Council "to oppose fracking and the extraction of unconventional gas, such as coal bed methane and shale gas, because of the unacceptable risks to neighbouring communities, the climate and the local environment".
It is first of all important to say that the extraction of unconventional gas does not always involve fracking, and indeed the planning permission which was granted in 2010 at Barton Moss does not allow for the fracking of the shales. Any proposal for fracking of the shales at Barton Moss (or indeed elsewhere) would require planning permission.
The City Council is very clear that society as a whole needs to be moving to a future where it moves away from carbon based fuels. The City Council itself has been taking steps in this direction we have become more energy efficient and switched energy supplies to green sources, reducing our consumption since 2007 by 20% and saving council taxpayers nearly £6m.
We have led the way in Greater Manchester by moving our streetlights to LED. We have worked with social housing providers to enable tenants to retrofit houses and flats for energy efficiency. We are supporting proposals for hydropower on the Irwell and heat networks and Media City and Pendleton. The take up of electric charging points has been the highest in Greater Manchester. And we have recently installed solar panels on the Civic Centre roof, a visible indication of our commitment.
The City Council's own Climate Change Strategy, and the GM Climate Change Strategy that we all contribute to through the Low Carbon Hub, provides the framework for all this activity. There is much more to be done, and we will continue with real actions on the ground over coming months and years. There is a clear case that exploiting a new source of fossil fuels is not something that we should countenance. But there is also a case that the decline of North Sea gas resources will see increasing importation of gas from the Middle East, Russia and elsewhere, and a continuing and prospectively increasing - reliance on older coal based facilities (as well as ageing nuclear plants).The debate has to be about energy policy at its broadest level, and the way in which this either helps or hinders greenhouse gas emissions, it should not be a single issue debate about fracking.
So far as fracking is concerned, the City Council as local planning authority has a legal requirement to consider any planning application which might be submitted, on the basis of the policies set in place at national level and through its own local development plan (in this case the saved policies in the UDP and the GM Minerals Plan), as well as within the context of the requirements of EU legislation. The local planning authority has a specific role in the process, as do other regulatory authorities such as the Environment Agency and the Health and Safety Executive.
There is no proposal for fracking in Salford at the present time. We are aware that IGas have issued something described as a "regulatory announcement" which seems to be aimed at their investors and shareholders, and which seems to focus on the potential of the Bowland Shales within their licence area. What is not clear is whether their initial findings will lead them to want to explore further the potential
for shale gas extraction in Salford, certainly they have given no indication that that will be their next move. Should they move in that direction then the City Council will want to listen to all the arguments, and will have to make a judgement as planning authority based on the planning merits of the case. We are very mindful that any such proposal would be highly contentious and subject to a great deal of public interest and debate, and (as you would expect)the City Council will ensure that it
complies with all of the legislative and policy requirements placed on it. However, until we know if IGas has any intention of pursuing proposals here rather than elsewhere within their licence area, it is not possible to make real judgements about the various impacts.
The City Council's focus will be on practical measures to help us move forward on the Low Carbon agenda. If we face proposals from IGas then we will consider them in the light of all the facts at the time, including the regulatory framework within which we have to operate, and we will welcome real debate and discussion within a context where we will have to fully understand all the evidence before us. Until that time the debate remains theoretical."
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