Sunday 17th) at 2pm hundreds of Lancashire residents and anti-fracking activists from the Reclaim the Power camp will march through central Blackpool to protest against gas company Cuadrilla’s plans for fracking in Lancashire. A record-breaking 14,000 objections to Cuadrilla’s drilling plans for two new sites have been handed in to Lancashire County Council

For immediate release: 16 August 2014

Filming / photo opportunity: Sunday 17th August, 2pm-4pm, starting at Blackpool South Pier and moving to North Pier. Photographs available on request.

07447 027112
@nodashforgas
press@nodashforgas.org.uk

07548086703
tinalouise@gmail.com
@tinalouiseUK

 

Tomorrow (Sunday 17th) at 2pm hundreds of Lancashire residents and anti-fracking activists from the Reclaim the Power camp will march through central Blackpool to protest against gas company Cuadrilla’s plans for fracking in Lancashire. A record-breaking 14,000 objections to Cuadrilla’s drilling plans for two new sites have been handed in to Lancashire County Council[1] and the campaigners hope to increase this number before the planning consultation deadline in October.

The protest will take a route from the Blackpool South Pier to the North Pier.

Local grandmothers, mothers and children have been occupying a field on Preston New Road – one of Cuadrilla’s proposed drilling targets – since August 7th, and were joined by hundreds of activists from across the country for a week-long protest camp from August 14th. Frack Free Lancashire – the local campaign group – have been opposing Cuadrilla’s plans for three years.

Tina Louise, local grandmother and Frack Free Lancashire member said:

“The past three years have seen the Lancashire community wake up to the reality of what living in an industrialized shale gas community would be like.  This march represents the coming together of people who are able to stand up and say no and we also represent the very many who can’t be here today and want their voices to be heard.  As Lancashire County Council consider Cuadrilla’s request, we would like them to also consider the residents of Lancashire and our children.  We would very much like to thank the activists from across the country and Reclaim the Power who have come and amplified our message.“

Emily McGregor from Reclaim the Power said:

“Our government pretends that fracked gas is clean and safe. We know it’s not safe – earthquakes have already happened. It’s also not clean – if our children are to have a chance for a safe climate, we must not extract new oil and gas. The technology for the UK to become 100% renewable by 2030 exists now.[2] We need to invest in democratic, affordable and clean energy and not subsidise corporate fossil fuels.”

Throughout Monday 18th, groups of Reclaim The Power participants will take action in a variety of locations related to Cuadrilla’s fracking plans in Lancashire.

[1] http://www.foe.co.uk/news/14000-people-call-frack-free-lancashire

[2] http://www.zerocarbonbritain.org/