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utILItY WeeK | 13th - 19th June 2014 | 15 Special report I must protest: opposition groups get organised Kathryn McWhirter of Frack Free Balcombe Residents Association was not politically active before shale drilling arrived in the area. Now, it is no exaggeration to say campaigning has taken over her life, putting her work as a freelance wine writer in the shade. Cuadrilla got planning permission for a Balcombe test well in 2010, but the first McWhirter heard about it was in newspaper reports in December 2011. "All this stuff about how the industry communicates is really not true," she says. It became apparent Cuadrilla had approached the parish council, but its members, who had stood unopposed, did not represent McWhirter's views on the matter. From opposing developments in Balcombe, McWhirter joined a global movement against "unacceptable extractive fossil fuel businesses" – covering coalbed methane as well as shale gas and oil. She has spoken at conferences across Europe and hosted like- minded protesters from as far afield as the US, Canada and Poland. "At first it was: oh my god, there is this oil well coming to my village. Then it became: I really want to stop this worldwide." Martin Porter of Frack Free Greater Manchester is a long-standing environmental activist, on issues ranging from GM crops to new roads. He has been involved in Greenpeace for more than 15 years. "I was aware of fracking before it became a local issue," he says. "For me, it is primarily about climate change. I have been involved with various Greenpeace climate change campaigns, none of which were particularly effective, which is why the fracking campaign is so exciting. We have really had a lot of success." The Greater Manchester group has been swelled by those more concerned about local environmental issues around sites at Barton Moss and Daveyhulme. Its largest demon- stration in March attracted more around 1,000 protesters, according to police estimates. Alison Davies of Cadwriaeth Ucheldir Maldwyn (Conservation of Upland Montgomery- shire) has been opposing windfarms in Mid Wales and nationally for 20 years. Her family used to have a wind turbine on their farm, which was off the electricity grid, but found it did not provide the reliable power they wanted. When they were approached by develop- ers wanting to put part of a windfarm on their land, they declined. Davies and her group challenge planning proposals on the detail, from "grossly exag- gerated" claims on carbon savings to assurances about peat land preservation. "Our reasons for objection are grounded in the planning process and solid facts, not based on emotion," she says. "We are not Luddites. We are not professional activists. We are people who think and what we have learned is that this is a huge con." Demonstrations are less her style: "You don't win a planning battle by waving a banner but you do sometimes make the politicians realise you have a voice. There is a place for it." Mike Hall of Friends of Eden, Lakeland and Lunesdale Scenery (Fells) is behind one of the referrals to Eric Pickles, along with Natural England and two National Park authorities. Fells objects to all "inappropriately sited" planning developments in Cumbria and North Lancashire, of which 90 per cent are energy-related. Started in 1999, it has taken part in eight public inquiries and succeeded in blocking the plans in six of those, Hall says. "We are pretty expert." The latest windfarm proposal under contention was approved by the council against the advice of the planning officer and strong objections from conservation groups. "They focused entirely on climate change, which is not a planning issue," says Hall. Fells focuses on the planning process rather than demonstrations: "Although you need a bit of emotion and a bit of spirit in campaigns, it does not actually win the argument." Wind power "has a small role to play" in the energy mix, says Hall, "but we don't fundamentally believe that windfarms can address the shortfall of electricity supply we are facing". Shale gas, on the other hand, Hall sees as a dependable source of energy that could reduce emissions by displacing coal. Accordingly, Fells would support "sensitively sited" fracking, with "appropriate safeguards". a number of those sites. "The only differ- ence between shale and conventional gas is where the gas is. This word 'unconventional' is actually about the geology, not the pro- cess. The fracturing techniques are the same. What is different is the amount of water and the pressure you use is higher." The first company to test out the new streamlined consenting process for frack- ing will be Cuadrilla, at two sites in Lan- cashire. The company has submitted a planning application for Preston New Road and another, at Roseacre Wood, is due to follow shortly. Igas is reportedly looking to venture into the East Midlands. While the government has tried to create a supportive environment for shale gas, the public is not overwhelmingly convinced. The same Decc poll that put public support for onshore wind at 70 per cent gave shale gas exploration an approval rating of just 29 per cent, with 22 per cent of respondents against. The industry may take comfort from the fact that the biggest tranche of respondents, 44 per cent, were neutral on the subject, suggesting room for persuasion. It remains to be seen whether shale gas fracking plans will get approved in this con- text. Cronin says: "The total planning system from beginning to end has not been tested yet… We are very keen to work with local communities to ensure that everyone has the right amount of information. We live in a sys- tem that the arbiters of the planning process are local authorities. That is the reality of it." Howard is optimistic that once people get used to the idea of fracking, they will accept drilling rigs in their area. "I am hopeful coun- cils will become more confident in decision- making on exploratory proposals. The public and councils will see there is nothing to be worried about and sentiment will soen." While the shale gas industry will go through a similar planning process to wind developers, the objections they must over- come are different. Wind opponents focus on the visual impact of wind turbines on the landscape and potential threats to birdlife or peat bogs. At a national level, they take issue with the level of subsidy involved, the intermittency of generation and claims for carbon savings. Shale gas opponents raise concerns about water consumption, groundwater contami- nation and waste products of fracking. They also argue that exploiting new sources of fos- sil fuel undermines global efforts to tackle climate change. The situation in onshore wind shows that public support is no protection against ministerial meddling. The nascent fracking industry, which has yet to secure widespread acceptance, enjoys government favour today but remains vulnerable to campaigns and pol- iticking. Exploration companies should take note: the planning process is a constant bat- tleground. Unlike shale strata, protesters and ministers cannot be fracked into submission. Photo: PA