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| Balcombe residents complain about continuing fracking protests | Balcombe residents complain about continuing fracking protests |
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| Residents of the West Sussex village at the heart of a battle over whether the UK should go ahead with fracking have complained at the ongoing protests against the controversial technique. | Residents of the West Sussex village at the heart of a battle over whether the UK should go ahead with fracking have complained at the ongoing protests against the controversial technique. |
| Earlier this month, hundreds of protesters blockaded the site outside Balcombe where Cuadrilla is undertaking exploratory drilling for oil, leading to 29 arrests including that of green MP, Caroline Lucas. Although a camp of activists in a nearby field has now left, around fifty people remain at a 'gate camp', according to Tammy Samede, a protester at the camp who told the Guardian she will stay there "as long as it takes." | |
| But in an anonymous letter, 60 residents of the village, which has a population of around 2,000, said they wanted to "record our strong disapproval of the recent and continuing protests" and derided "relentless propaganda" from locals and environmentalists opposed to fracking for shale gas. On the grounds of energy prices and energy security, they said the technology should be accepted, and they believed it would not "unduly damage our environment." | But in an anonymous letter, 60 residents of the village, which has a population of around 2,000, said they wanted to "record our strong disapproval of the recent and continuing protests" and derided "relentless propaganda" from locals and environmentalists opposed to fracking for shale gas. On the grounds of energy prices and energy security, they said the technology should be accepted, and they believed it would not "unduly damage our environment." |
| The letter said: "We deplore the abuse suffered by employees of the drilling company, and the police, extended trespass, and the establishment of a semi-permanent 'protest camp' on hitherto beautiful road verges; actions which add up to an abuse of the undoubted right to peaceful protest." It also complained the village had suffered "unfair abuse of our parish council, politicisation of the village fête, unsightly banners and, above all, spreading of unwarranted fear." | The letter said: "We deplore the abuse suffered by employees of the drilling company, and the police, extended trespass, and the establishment of a semi-permanent 'protest camp' on hitherto beautiful road verges; actions which add up to an abuse of the undoubted right to peaceful protest." It also complained the village had suffered "unfair abuse of our parish council, politicisation of the village fête, unsightly banners and, above all, spreading of unwarranted fear." |
| Rodney Jago, a retired Balcombe resident and one of the organisers of the letter, said it was time for the protesters to move on from their roadside camp outside the drilling entrance. "It seriously delays people getting to work, and the policing costs are quite ridiculous. Every time a lorry tries to make a delivery, the people come out with their drums." | Rodney Jago, a retired Balcombe resident and one of the organisers of the letter, said it was time for the protesters to move on from their roadside camp outside the drilling entrance. "It seriously delays people getting to work, and the policing costs are quite ridiculous. Every time a lorry tries to make a delivery, the people come out with their drums." |
| Jago has previously spoken in support of Cuadrilla's operations, saying: "Surely we should welcome any contribution to self-sufficiency provided it is safe. All new technologies have teething problems. We wouldn't have trains or aeroplanes if we had meetings like this [a public meeting in Balcombe with Cuadrilla in 2012] when they started." | Jago has previously spoken in support of Cuadrilla's operations, saying: "Surely we should welcome any contribution to self-sufficiency provided it is safe. All new technologies have teething problems. We wouldn't have trains or aeroplanes if we had meetings like this [a public meeting in Balcombe with Cuadrilla in 2012] when they started." |
| Sussex police have said operations policing the protests have so far cost over £2m. | Sussex police have said operations policing the protests have so far cost over £2m. |
| Vanessa Vine, who lives near Balcobme and is the organiser of Frack Free Sussex, said in response to the letter: "If the tiny minority of 60 anonymous Balcombe residents (c. 30 households?) who've issued this astonishingly naive pro-fracking statement had taken the trouble to look at the true relentless propaganda on this issue - or to investigate the enormity of the risks posed both to their AONB [area of outstanding natural beauty] and their personal health by unconventional fossil fuel exploitation, they might be less aerated about 'grass verges' and 'unsightly banners'." | Vanessa Vine, who lives near Balcobme and is the organiser of Frack Free Sussex, said in response to the letter: "If the tiny minority of 60 anonymous Balcombe residents (c. 30 households?) who've issued this astonishingly naive pro-fracking statement had taken the trouble to look at the true relentless propaganda on this issue - or to investigate the enormity of the risks posed both to their AONB [area of outstanding natural beauty] and their personal health by unconventional fossil fuel exploitation, they might be less aerated about 'grass verges' and 'unsightly banners'." |
| A poll by Balcombe parish council last year suggested 82% of residents were against fracking, much higher than the 40% opposed to fracking near their homes in a recent Guardian/ICM poll. | A poll by Balcombe parish council last year suggested 82% of residents were against fracking, much higher than the 40% opposed to fracking near their homes in a recent Guardian/ICM poll. |
| Louisa Delpy, a Balcombe resident, said: "The 60 signatures represent a small minority. I respect their opinion and welcome their voice to the debate. The number of people who have signed is consistent with the number who said they were pro-fracking in the previous parish council and NoFiBS [No Fracking in Balcombe Society] surveys. This reinforces the fact that while some individuals are supportive of the drilling, the majority of the community are against it." | Louisa Delpy, a Balcombe resident, said: "The 60 signatures represent a small minority. I respect their opinion and welcome their voice to the debate. The number of people who have signed is consistent with the number who said they were pro-fracking in the previous parish council and NoFiBS [No Fracking in Balcombe Society] surveys. This reinforces the fact that while some individuals are supportive of the drilling, the majority of the community are against it." |
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