Councillor urges permanent fracking ban

A district councillor has spoken out against fracking – and urged the government to make this ban permanent.

Speaking at a full meeting of Lewes District Council on Monday 21st November, Lib Dem Cllr Rob Banks, (Plumpton, East Chiltington, Streat and St John Without), said : “Fracking involves yet more fossil fuel extraction - it will make the climate crisis worse.

“Fracking will also not bring down our energy bills so will not tackle the cost of living crisis, and is extremely divisive in communities up and down the country. It will increase our reliance on expensive fossil fuels.

“The few fracking sites in the UK have failed to prove fracking is viable. On at least 5 separate occasions, Cuadrilla stopped fracking because it triggered earthquakes bigger than the rules allow.

“We know already the challenge to our water supply from new developments, the pollution from fracking risks contaminating water and making matters far worse.

“And where will the water needed for the fracking process come from, and how would the waste water be disposed of? We know the existing problems Southern Water face getting rid of regular wastewater.

"One licence – PEDL 244 - covers part of the northern area of our district, just north of my ward, with the government’s own map showing an area running from underneath Chailey Common over to – and beyond - the County border with Haywards Heath - which could be drilled if the moratorium is lifted. So the ban on fracking should be ‘U-turn proof’.

Cllr Banks added: “The government’s moratorium has been demonstrated to be fragile and temporary in nature. As the Liz Truss led government was going to bring back fracking, it's essential that there are watertight guarantees it will not come back a third time.”