Climate activists celebrate suspension of all fracking in England

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. We’ve long called for fracking to be stopped, and are thrilled that our messages have resonated finally.” open image in gallery A protester stands outside Cuadrilla’s Preston Road fracking site near Blackpool Friends of the Earth’s chief executive Craig Bennett said the government was right to call a halt on a “damaging and deeply unpopular industry”. “Given the size of the prize at state – the significantly lower carbon footprint of domestic gas compared to imports and the significant investment the industry and the government have already made, we believe this is the right approach.” OGA director of regulation Tom Wheeler said that the authority had reached its conclusions after considering information from the seismic activity around the Lancashire site and independent scientific analysis of data from the Preston New Road well. “The OGA believes that further detailed geo-mechanical analysis would be needed before we could evaluate with confidence whether hydraulic fracturing could resume in Fylde, or elsewhere, consistent with the government’s policy aims,” said Mr Wheeler. “For this reason, I have concluded that we should put a moratorium on fracking in England with immediate effect.” She said that maintaining diverse gas supplies would remain a priority for the government, as part of the UK’s diverse energy mix.