On Tuesday, I was in the Peak District to contribute to piece for the Today programme on Radio 4 about fracking (here at 8.35). I argued that, contrary to existing government policy, fracking should be ruled out in SSSIs.
Hours after the programme was aired, Decc published a consultation about fracking on protected areas and now proposes to rule out fracking wells and other infrastructure at the surface of a wide range of protected areas, including SSSIs.
Either Decc was quick in their response to the Today programme or, more likely, it had simply listened to the thousands of people that had supported the ‘Don’t frack nature’s home’ campaign run by us and supported by partners like the Campaign to Protect Rural England and the Wildlife Trusts. If that included you – thank you for using your voice for nature.
Although there is more work to mitigate the impacts from a new fracking industry, I am pleased by this result. Yes, we have had to win this battle twice – first when the Infrastructure Act was passed before the election (see here) and second after SSSIs were excluded from the list of protected areas exempted from fracking (see here).
Arguments that ruling out SSSIs would constrain the development of the fracking industry were never going to wash. Allowing fracking to proceed in SSSIs would have led to a public outcry, long public inquiries and would have undermined the government’s ambitions for restoring nature in a generation. Only a tiny percentage of the new licences awarded this summer for onshore oil and gas would be affected by this change. But our analysis showed that hundreds of SSSIs could be safeguarded when this is brought into effect - sites like Salisbury Plain SSSI, Nagshead SSSI and Speech House Oaks SSSI in the Forest of Dean area, and even parts of RSPB Bempton Cliffs.
Under new government proposals, sites like RSPB Nagshead nature reserve will be expempt from fracking (credit: David Wootton)
Any industry that wants to develop in the countryside needs to be open about the risks and engage the public in a proper debate about the risks and opportunities. The renewable industry has learnt this as have those involved in housing and other major infrastructure.
We always look to work constructively with developers but we will put a spotlight on problems then they arise. That is why we have promoting positive planning for windfarms and why we reviewed and published the environmental risks associated with fracking (see here). Our research led us to propose a world class regulatory regime to oversee fracking as well as establishing frack-free zones to protect our finest wildlife sites and sensitive water supplies.
Many of the recommendations we set out remain unaddressed, but we’re pleased to see Government move closer to an outright ban on fracking in all protected areas.
We don’t agree that fracking should be permitted under any of these sites – and separate, new legislation from Government will permit this. We don’t know what a safe depth is to frack beneath a sensitive wildlife site. And fracking beneath them could incentivise fracking rigs being placed near the edges of them, putting noise, light and harmful chemicals uncomfortably close to sensitive habitats and wildlife.
Now, the Government has to demonstrate that a fracking industry is compatible with its targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, ensure that fracking in and under protected areas is finally ruled out and that it is prepared to introduce the best possible regulatory regime to oversee the development of this new industry.
You can help the Government stick to this commitment by responding to the current consultation here. We and our partners will be making its thoughts on these proposals very clear during the consultation phase.
Once again much credit to the RSPB for persistence in this campaign to make the Government see sense. This is excellent news, hopefully these proposals will become definitive.