Meeting with MP over ‘dangers’ of fracking

RPRESENTATIVES from local and regional fracking groups were joined by West Lancashire MP Rosie Cooper at a public information meeting in Haskayne Village.

The event hosted by The Moss Alliance, which includes Halsall Against Fracking and Frack Free Formby, was a public meeting about Aurora Energy Resources’ fracking plans for Altcar Moss.

The MP was invited to along to speak in support of the anti-fracking campaigners and encourage residents to make their voices heard.

Also in attendance were Friends of the Earth Director Alasdair Roxburgh who hails from West Lancahsire, Chair of Roseacre Awareness Group Barbara Richardson (the group that successfully campaigned against fracking plans at Roseacre in Fylde), Downholland Parish Council Chair Mike Wainwright and many West Lancashire borough councillors.

Rosie Cooper praised the efforts of Maureen Mills and all those campaigning against the current application.

She said at the meeting: “Who is going to look after your interests if it’s not you?

“It is really important that you are here. Keep doing what you are doing.

“The parish council has objected. I will object. We need to keep those objections going in.

“I’ve been up to the site in Altcar when I brought the Labour frontbencher Barry Gardiner, a Shadow Minister for Energy and Climate Change, to join us and publicly declare the Labour position on fracking, that we will ban it as soon as we get into government, and will continue to campaign against it.”

She said after the meeting: “The recent seismic activity at the Preston new Road site is a perfect example of why I oppose Aurora’s application to frack at a site in Altcar in West Lancashire,.

“It is a disgrace that the size of this seismic activity is being downplayed, despite the fact that we have seen the biggest tremor yet at PNR and shows that levels are rapidly rising, the regulations are clear that work should stop when tremors reach 0.5.

“Just pausing, then restarting work to reach ever higher levels of seismic activity is simply not acceptable and shouldn’t be tolerated. ● WHAT do you think about the plans? Email our Letters page at: seftoncommunities@trinitymirror.com