UK Parliament backs fracking below national parks

Controversial proposals to allow fracking under national parks will be voted on by MPs today.

Labour and the Liberal Democrats have complained that the measures were not allocated any time for debate in the Commons chamber and the regulations were passed after a deferred vote away from the main proceedings. “Now they’ve abandoned those promises”, she said.

The group is campaigning for a full ban on fracking because it says 80% of fossil fuels have to remain in the ground to avoid risky climate change.

This led campaigners to raise the prospect of drilling works encircling the protected areas, with horizontal drilling operations extending well into them, a prediction borne out by today’s vote.

Prime Minister David Cameron’s government has pledged to go “all-out for shale”, saying it would increase energy security, keep prices down and create jobs.

The plan first emerged when the North York Moors, the Peak District, the South Downs and the Yorkshire Dales, which were all labelled as suitable for exploitation of shale gas in a report by Durham University while the seven others including the Lake District, the Norfolk Broads and the Cairngorms did not have favourable geology.

“It is tantamount to vandalism to not recognise that some areas simply must be protected from fracking so they can be enjoyed by future generations”.

“The UK Government has just participated in a historic climate agreement in Paris, but if it is to hold up its end of the bargain it has to rethink its support for fracking and back safe, cheap, clean energy instead”, Ms Martin said.

He said visitors to the national park would not notice that fracking was taking place, and questioned whether visitors to areas where hydraulic fracturing wells were would be able to spot anything other than the top of a drilling rig between some trees.

Paul Wilkinson, of The Wildlife Trusts, said: “This Government’s aggressive drive for fracking is showing blatant disregard for our precious protected places and the need for urgent action on climate change”.

The regulations approved by MPs apply to England and Wales, but Wales has a moratorium on fracking applications.

Tim Farron, the Liberal Democrat leader, was asked on Daily Politics what the problem was given that regulations governing fracking mean we won’t actually see it happening in the national parks.

“It’s not only disingenuous, but it’s damaging for our countryside and it ” s damaging for the environment.