A powerful letter out today from a member of the N&W Lancashire Chamber of Commerce (recently highlighted by anti-fracking groups as promoting fracking to local business community whilst associated financially with Cuadrilla and therefore NOT impartial) to the head of the Chamber, Babs Murphy: [Dear Babs, As a local business owner from Lancashire, I am highly concerned by the unquestioning support given by the Chamber of Commerce, to an industry as controversial and strongly opposed as shale gas development or ‘fracking’. As a member of the Chamber, I would like to know how this official decision was reached and I request a process of transparent consultation with members to determine the business community’s position on fracking. Fracking was halted in this area in 2011 over safety concerns, following two earthquakes that caused damage to many local businesses and communities. I understand an investigation is also currently underway into suspected toxicity around a well leak at Singleton. There continues to be serious opposition from local residents, including 18,000 planning objection letters handed to Lancashire County Council recently. Concerns include the potential impact of the industry on an area like Lancashire, with much invested in both tourism and agriculture. Both areas which the Chamber has a responsibility to represent. I understand the Chamber of Commerce has commissioned the North West Energy Task Force to investigate the jobs and local growth potential for fracking in the area. That, as the Chamber of Commerce chief executive you have now spoken out in favour of Shale gas, before these results are available, not to mention the omission of safety and community concerns, nor the fact the study is funded directly by the industry (and also chaired by yourself) troubles me immensely, as a local business owner and resident. Evidence from communities in North America and Australia where fracking has already happened suggest the local economic benefits are minimal, and far outweighed by environmental, social and economic degradation from the intensive and short lived extractive process. We would be foolish to ignore this insight. Reasonable ‘production’ from Lancashire would involve 3,000 wells being drilled in the Fylde alone, with associated disruption. We are the ‘testing’ site for the fracking industry in the UK. Fracking has already either been banned or has a moratorium in place in several European countries, including France, Germany and several parts of Canada and Australia, and has been strongly opposed as testing begins in the UK. Recent government polls show 24% of the population are in favour of fracking and 24% against. I am a local business leader, I am a local resident, I am a paid up member of the Chamber of Commerce: I am not a guinea pig. Cuadrilla (the company trying to bring fracking to Lancashire, and target of recent protests) has already been pulled up by the Advertising Standards Authority for ‘over-stating safety claims’ in community information literature. Local businesses deserve clear, honestly presented information in order to understand the potential risks to their business and communities from shale gas development. As such, I find it highly inappropriate that the North and West Chamber of Commerce, with its weight and influence, should accept money, provide office space and prioritise and promote the fracking industry over the needs and concerns of its other members and local community, without any consultation process. I therefore call on the Chamber to: -Revoke their current statement, favouring the Shale gas industry, in public -Commit to a place of neutrality on the subject of Fracking, whilst the task force completes the work they have been set to do, without financial or resource backing from the actual industry it is investigating. -Hold a full member consultation on fracking, where both the benefits and the risks of fracking can be discussed and understood at length -Make transparent the findings of the North West Energy Task force to all chamber members I look forward to your response. Michelle Clarke] stopfyldefracking.org.uk/latest-news/response-to-chamber-of-commerce-statement/
Posted on: Fri, 22 Aug 2014 09:46:37 +0000
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