Fracking trespass law changes opposed by 74% of British public, poll finds

The government faces widespread opposition to plans to change trespass laws to allow shale gas companies to drill under homes without the owner's permission, a poll has revealed.

The YouGov survey of 1,898 people found that 74% opposed the controversial move, which ministers are thought to be considering as part of efforts to drive a "shale gas revolution" that could see fracking across swathes of the UK.

More than 45,000 people around the country have joined legal moves to block energy companies from fracking under their properties, but a change to the trespass laws could allow companies to explore for shale gas without needing their permission.

The survey found that 73% of Conservative voters and 70% of Liberal Democrat supporters did not agree with changing the law to make it easier to drill under people's homes.

The poll carried out for Greenpeace also revealed 80% of Labour voters and 77% of those planning to vote Ukip opposed the move.

Greenpeace UK executive director John Sauven said: "Having failed to reassure the country that fracking is safe, ministers now want to render people powerless to oppose it. There's nothing fair or just about this underhand ploy to strip people of their legal right to say no to fracking under their homes."

He added: "This survey reveals just how toxic this policy is for the Conservative party. The same ministers who like to pose as champions of local communities against big government are now happy to trample over their property rights at the request of the fracking industry."

Greenpeace is one of a number of conservation groups who along with a leading homeowner organisation have written to prime minister David Cameron urging him to back the rights of local people to refuse access to companies which wish to drill for fossil fuels underneath their homes and land.

The letter warned that changing property rights at a time when more than 60% of the country could be opened up to exploration of unconventional fossil fuels would further erode public trust in the government's approach to fracking.

People's right to determine whether to allow oil and gas companies to drill under their property is "appropriate and should be retained given the associated major risks and lack of a precautionary approach by the government," the letter said.

The groups criticised recent changes to the law which have removed the requirement for drilling companies to inform homeowners, landowners and tenants directly of plans to drill below their property.

Taking away the property owners' right to refuse drilling would allow companies to drill without either notification or permission – "an unacceptable prioritisation of the commercial interests of the few over the rights of land and property owners", they said.

The letter to the Prime Minister was signed by Greenpeace, the Homeowners Alliance, the RSPB, Friends of the Earth, the Angling Trust, the Salmon & Trout Association and the Wildlife Trusts.

Homeowners Alliance chief executive Paula Higgins said: "It's outrageous that homeowners don't have a say over who uses and profits from their land. Our homes are our most valuable asset and the government shouldn't be allowed to ride roughshod over people from all corners of the country without any discussion or consultation and only a hint of compensation."

Hydraulic fracturing or fracking involves pumping water, chemicals and sand at high pressure underground to fracture shale rock and release the gas trapped in it. Wells can be drilled horizontally, leading to exploration under land around the site.

The government is pushing for the development of a shale gas industry in the UK, claiming it would create jobs and growth, reduce energy prices and cut the country's reliance on gas imports.

But opponents have raised fears that the process causes earthquakes, can pollute water supplies, lead to inappropriate development in the countryside and damage house prices. There are also concerns exploiting shale gas could harm investment in renewables and undermine efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions to tackle climate change.

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/may/06/fracking-trespass-law-changes-opposed-by-74-of-britons

Your home is your castle? Not any more it's not!!!!!

I recommend stopping all new business, raiding all banks and smashing them up - killing all bankers, then we can live happily ever after in our squalid poo accepting handouts from the UN.

Happy now, lefties?

no one asked me or family about fracking,if they had we would all said "bring it on" subject to safety checks.

nicko wrote:no one asked me or family about fracking,if they had we would all said "bring it on" subject to safety checks.

it's bad, and odd here as the most against it are the Farmers that are traditionally RW

the young fella is a LW comedian and the old fella is the Most RW radio commentator in Australia (who happens to be incredibly popular in rural Australia)





we at least have the option of doing it where very few people live
the USA has seriously ruined a lot of people, it is hard to post that video so just follow the link....
you should not be able to light your taps on fire                

http://content.time.com/time/video/player/0,32068,902909981001_2065158,00.html


PS. I vote Greens   

hey veya,is that the same area? if so I might have to revise my opinion.

"we at least have the option of doing it where very few people live"


That's alright then.

Where are these places veya - in the towns occupied by white Australians?

No? Oh - are they in the remote areas where the "Abo's" live then?

Ah, ok.

veya - it's either progress or it isn't.

I'm afraid unless humans reduce the population by about 50% we'll just have to continue until we wipe ourselves out.

But please don't go on about other countries, other people while professing that you lot are wonderful - you are the most hardline racist, anti immigrant country out there.

@nicko
watch the video in the last link... frightening stuff and that is out the USA and the Woman even says that she had to turn down a settlement with a non disclosure clause which the fracking companies were pushing.

I am not 100% on the image, it suggests it is but I don't think it is exactly the same place (there is an old gully line in the second image that is not in the first)

But like I said Jones is VERY RW..(but undeniably does stand up for rural Aussies, that is quite a bit for me to admit because he is Normally the guy I swear at and call a liar when i hear him on radio etc) the fact that he is against it speaks volumes

http://www.smh.com.au/environment/at-the-coalface-jones-and-greens-together-in-mining-fight-20111019-1m85u.html

BigAndy9 wrote:veya - it's either progress or it isn't.

I'm afraid unless humans reduce the population by about 50% we'll just have to continue until we wipe ourselves out.

But please don't go on about other countries, other people while professing that you lot are wonderful - you are the most hardline racist, anti immigrant country out there.

Look at the Aussie Video Compared to USA... at least we haven't stuffed up that bad.

also look at the dates we did this 3 years ago. Here it is not even a RW LW issue pretty much everyone is against it except the Fracking companies and Neither major party touches it with a 10 foot pole.       but there is far RW and far LW party that are both against it  ::dunno::  All the Rural People Hate it  

But make sure you read all of this nicko:

http://reason.com/archives/2013/07/05/the-top-5-lies-about-fracking

Something i learned at a very early age - always read a little more than you're told to by the teacher   

BigAndy9 wrote:But make sure you read all of this nicko:

http://reason.com/archives/2013/07/05/the-top-5-lies-about-fracking

Something i learned at a very early age - always read a little more than you're told to by the teacher    

Andy Trust me.. I hate Alan Jones  

this is definitely a scam on the Little guy   

Well, with so high a percentage of the population against this law, perhaps people will get their finger out and do something about it. They don't have to be fracking next door to you for this to happen, the high pressure water can be miles away and run through the layers under your house and crack the foundations. You can bet they won't be doing it under Cameron's house!

BTW Veya, those pictures certainly bring home what fracking can do, and our dozy twats have given them permission to do it over virtually all of Britain if they feel like it.