Don’t threaten protected areas in the rush to frack

Later today, a committee of MPs will discuss amendments to the Infrastructure Bill. We believe some of the most important surround assurance that our protected sites remain protected.

We believe in the rush to develop Britain's fracking potential, we have a duty to ensure that our natural environment is not spoilt in the process.

There are many environmental concerns, including: the over abstraction of water; the disturbance of sensitive wildlife, such as pink-footed geese; the fragmentation of habitat; and water pollution. Because of these concerns, we believe it's essential that sensitive wildlife sites should be avoided, alongside valued landscapes, as these fragile locations could be disproportionately affected.

Properly amending the Infrastructure Bill to include a presumption against the development of fracking in our most treasured sites would help address one of the most urgent threats to nature.

Many partner organisations share our concerns, including: the National Trust; the Angling Trust; the Salmon and Trout Association, the Wildlife Trusts, and the Campaign to Protect Rural England.