Fracking in Lancashire

Fracking is becoming a major issue in the UK and particularly in Lancashire where 6 test pads exists and future planning applications are expected from Cuadrilla. The issue has escalated with potentially huge reserves having been discovered in the east of Lancashire along the M65 corridor and the Forest of Bowland.

There are two issues; whether fracking is both safe and neccessary; if it is,

Government go ahead to shale gas extraction

I have expressed on several occasions in the past that I have certain reservations about the merits of fracking for various environmental reasons. I am not blindly opposed to fracking, however it has always been a balancing act between whether we believe the benefits of cheaper gas will a) materialise and b) outweigh the physical downsides of the process.

I fully endorse the words of Caroline

Fracking in Lancashire

At his speech to conference, the Chancellor George Osborne announced that the Treasury would be supporting the development of the shale gas industry in the UK. As you may be aware, this is of great concern to Lancashire, as drilling by a shale gas company caused an minor earthquake in Blackpool several years ago. Below is an article that was printed in the political publication the House

Fracking - safety not profits must be paramount

As a Lancashire MP I still have concerns about the real benefits that fracking could bring to the UK, and whether these outweigh the environmental and safety concerns that have so far kept the technology on hold in the UK and across Europe.


The comparisons with the US which are so often used should be approached with a degree of skepticism; the UK’s situation is more similar to Europe’s. Our