Fracking & Derby:- don't let your Council be intimidated

[derby climate]

An update from Derby. On the 11^th of June Derby City Council, which is Labour controlled,  passed a heavily butchered motion on fracking.  The intention of the original resolution  submitted to Council was to consider the impact of fracking upon Derby; things like greenhouse gases, contamination of the water table and so on. In amended motion passed the buck:

 

Council therefore resolves:

To instruct its Corporate Scrutiny Board to  investigate and to report back to the full Council the likely environmental impact of  fracking within the city

 

Last week the gloriously named Regeneration and Culture  Overview and Scrutiny Board met to consider the matter.

 

The guidance paper that had been drawn up stated:

 

4.11 Attempts to introduce „blanket bans‟ to refuse planning permission either through the mineral plan or otherwise is not a realistic option, and would be likely to expose an authority to costs on challenge if pursued.

 

[The full paper can be seen here]

 

As a result of this lead meant that the in general those present at the meeting were not prepared to that that the council might be opposed to fracking. Indeed there was almost no reference to the general implications of fracking at the meeting.  Derby Climate coalition is bewildered by the fact that the  Council which is ostensibly against climate change and has had a proud record, has allowed itself to take the foot off the pedal.

As Tim from Kirklees says

 We've had discussions with councillors and -importantly- council officials and I suspect that councils do not have the power to stop fracking (local government simply isn't that powerful). It's interesting that when we were looking into this we were hoping for some sort of precedent. FOE confirmed that no council have banned fracking.

 

 It doesn't make such motions irrelevant.  Although they are, to a point, symbolic I think they achieve three things. 
 
1) It's an opportunity to raise the issues and force councillors to make some sort of decision (ie it focuses their minds). 
2) It might have a deterrent effect to fracking companies. People in FoE have drawn analogies with the number of planning applications for wind farms in areas where councils have made similar - non-binding- anti wind motions. 
3) In the event of an application it provides leverage in the ensuing debate. 

 

Below is an updated list of councils which have made a discussed fracking. It pulls in the data from http://drillordrop.com/frack-free-councils/ and combines it with the previous list that has been circulated. (Once again thanks to Chris Crean).

 

 

Council name	Action	Date	Party in power at the time
Bath and North East Somerset	Statement of concern by council leader	15/1/2014	Conservative/Lib Dem
Brent Council	No
Brighton and Hove City	Frack free zone	24/1/2013	Green
Cheshire East	Statement of opposition by council leader	15/1/2014	Conservative
Cheshire West and Chester	Statement of opposition by council leader	15/1/2014	Conservative
City of Bristol	Statement of opposition by Mayor Frack-free zone petition referred to Mayor	13/1/2014 18/3/2014	Labour
City of York	Frack free zone http://www.frackfreeyork.org.uk/york-labour-councillors-to-vote-on-anti-fracking-motion/	9/10/2014	Labour
Deal Town	Opposition to fracking	26/11/2013
Derby City Council	Not clear. Sent the issue to a scrutiny Board, first met http://derbyclimate.org.uk/?p=479	21/10/14	Labour
Dover District	Opposition to fracking	7/11/2013	Conservative
Dover District Council	No
East Sussex County	Acknowledged concerns and required councillor briefing before fracking applications heard Refused request for a frack free zone	27/3/2012     13/10/2014	Conservative
Fylde (Lancs)	Against. http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/press_releases/lancashire-fylde-council-votes-oppose-fracking_18092014
Hampshire County	Statement by council leader that the environment must come first	13/1/2014	Conservative
Kirklees Borough	Noted concerns agreed to develop policy on fracking call for increased funding for renewables  http://kirkleescampaignagainstclimatechange.wordpress.com/2014/01/16/kirklees-councillors-support-motion-on-fracking-to-continue-proud-record-on-climate-change/	15/1/2014	Labour
Liverpool City	Mayoral commitment to discuss concerns in council committee	17/9/2014	Labour
London Borough of Brent	Statement of opposition by council leader	1/11/2013	Labour
London Borough of Lambeth	No
London Borough of Waltham Forest	Statement of opposition by deputy leader	15/1/2014	Labour
Maltby Town Council	No
Manchester City	Frack free zone	11/7/2012	Labour
Manchester City Council	No
Mendip District	Registered concerns; lobby government & establish working party	30/9/2013	Conservative
Newcastle City	Opposition to fracking	3/9/2014	Labour
Newcastle City Council	No; http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/groups/newcastle/blog/newcastle-city-council-opposes-fracking#.VAydg60AQK4.twitter
Norwich City Council	No
Preston City	Frack free city	13/12/2012	Labour
Reigate and Banstead Council	Yes
Sheffield	An anti-fracking motion (although it stopped short of saying no fracking should happen) was passed in Sheffield last September - see http://sheffieldgreenparty.org.uk/2013/09/05/green-motion-opposing-fracking-passed-by-full-council/  The motion was a Green Party one, with a supportive Amendment by Labour.
Sheffield City	Opposition to fracking and government policy	5/9/2013	Labour
Waltham Forest Council	No
Wirral	Opposition to fracking	18/7/2011	Labour

Peter Robinson

 

Chair Derby Climate Coalition