West Sussex could be in crosshairs for fracking as moratorium is lifted

West Sussex could be in the crosshairs of fracking companies as a moratorium is lifted by central government.
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UK energy bills skyrocketed in April and further increases are expected in the autumn, although new Prime Minister Liz Truss has announced billions to cap a household’s prices at £2,500 annually until 2024.

Russia, which launched an invasion of neighbour Ukraine in the spring, is the world’s largest exporter of natural gas.

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And while the UK receives little of its gas directly from Russia, wholesale prices globally have risen dramatically.

'No fracking here' sign in Balcombe back in 2013'No fracking here' sign in Balcombe back in 2013
'No fracking here' sign in Balcombe back in 2013

All this has led to the resurrection of arguments to allow fracking in the UK.

Back in November 2019, on the eve of the general election, the Conservative government announced an effective moratorium on fracking in England based on a report about the link between extraction operations and earthquakes.

While noting the process happens in other parts of the world, the government said that exploratory work to determine whether shale could be a new domestic energy source delivering benefits for our economy and energy security has now been paused - unless and until further evidence is provided that it can be carried out safely here’.

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Hydraulic fracturing, commonly called fracking, is the process by which shale gas and oil is released from deep underground. Water and chemicals are pumped quickly through rocks to release fossil fuels trapped beneath.

An aerial view of the Cuadrilla shale gas extraction (fracking) site in Lancashire from 2019 (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)An aerial view of the Cuadrilla shale gas extraction (fracking) site in Lancashire from 2019 (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
An aerial view of the Cuadrilla shale gas extraction (fracking) site in Lancashire from 2019 (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Lying on the Weald Basin, West Sussex was at the forefront of the campaign against fracking.

Although exploratory drilling has taken place at Balcombe in Mid Sussex and near Billingshurst in the Horsham district, the companies stated these were for conventional energy deposits and not for shale oil or gas.

Work has ground to a halt at the Broadford Bridge site near Billingshurst until the evaluation of the Horse Hill site near Horley is completed.

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Meanwhile, Angus Energy’s most recent application to continue oil testing at Balcombe was rejected by West Sussex County Council in March 2021, although it is appealing against this decision.

Other applications for sites near Fernhurst and between Wisborough and Kirdford were both rejected by the county council.

In light of the cost of living crisis and the rise in energy bills, there are some who are asking the government to look again’ at fracking.

As part of her energy plan, Ms Truss has announced she is scrapping the ban on fracking.

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Tom Fyans, director of campaigns and policy at the Campaign to Protect Rural England, said: “Giving fracking the green light is a hideous mistake. If the purpose is to tackle bank busting gas prices, it’s an exercise in futility. Even if we were to go full steam ahead on fracking, which nobody wants, least of all rural communities, it wouldn’t make a dent on the cost of energy anytime soon, or ever.

“Any move to industrialise the countryside and belch yet more fumes into our carbon-soaked atmosphere will prompt a furious response from local communities, drawn out planning delays and nationwide protests. Hardly a proposal to keep families warm this winter, or lower bills in the future.”

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