Reform UK councillor comes out in support of fracking
PLUS: Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, headquartered at Preston, under scrutiny
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Fracking is in no danger of going away as a point of debate between rival councillors.
The topic came back onto the agenda when Nigel Farage, favourite to be next Prime Minister at the time of writing, reportedly told energy companies to be ready to drill. Or in other words, it’s go-time on fracking should Reform UK hold power.
But Reform UK councillors at County Hall have maintained their own line locally that it won’t return in Lancashire - even if they believe it’s safe for it to be done elsewhere.
This is the latest row between councillors on the topic.
We also look at new funding for Lancashire and where it will be targeted, as well as fresh concerns have been raised about the culture at the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment after one of its former combat medics was named as the suspect in the murder.
Fracking backed and myths ‘busted’ by Reform UK councillor
By Jamie Lopez
A Reform county councillor has publicly offered his support for fracking, arguing it is “safer here than in almost any other country”.
Cllr Lee Hutchinson, who is also vice chairman of the council, described various reasons cited against the practice as “myths” and insisted robust laws in the UK would prevent such issues from materialising.
The prospect of the heavily-contested practice has returned after Reform’s national leadership expressed support. In particular, deputy leader Richard Tice has said it would be negligent to not try to extract energy to improve the economy, while leader Nigel Farage has been reported as telling energy firms to get ready to ‘drill, baby, drill’.
Lancashire is home to the only site where fracking has been attempted in the UK, with the Preston New Road site becoming home to semi-permanent protests after the Conservatives gave the green light for test drilling by Cuadrilla in October 2016.
A national ban was imposed after a series of tremors at the Little Plumpton site - with one measuring 2.9 on the Richter scale. While Liz Truss raised the prospect of a return to fracking in her disastrous stint as Prime Minister, the practice is currently subject to an indefinite ban.
At Lancashire County Council, Reform’s local leadership has sought to strike a balance between appeasing both national party figures and local dissent. The party line has been to support fracking generally, but insist that Lancashire does not have the right conditions and that it should take place elsewhere.
The issue was raised at a Chorley Council on Tuesday when Cllr Aidy Riggott, who is also Tory leader on Lancashire County Council, brought forward a motion calling on the borough council to reiterate its opposition to fracking and to ask Lancashire County Council to do the same as well as renouncing Tice’s comments which dismissed the impact of earthquakes which were felt in the community.
After the meeting, Cllr Riggott posted on social media criticising Reform ‘councillors’ (which is Cllr Michael Topp only) for failing to attend and Cllr Hutchinson responded to defend both his colleague and fracking. He attributed the absence to serious illness, to which Cllr Riggott said he did not know and could not have known as no apologies were sent on his behalf.
Concluding his explanation on why fears over earthquakes and water supplies were unfounded, he wrote: “UK regulations already make fracking safer here than in almost any other country. We can manage the risks responsibly and reduce our dependence on imported gas, which comes at higher cost and higher emissions.”
Funding for six areas in Lancashire under new Pride in Place fund
By Paul Faulkner
Six small communities across Lancashire are in line for £20m each to give them a new lease of life and help revitalise their public spaces.
The areas – in Preston, Blackpool, Wyre, Morecambe, Blackburn and Skelmersdale – are home to just a few thousand people and have been chosen to benefit from the expansion of a government fund targeting locations described as “long overlooked”.
Under the nationwide Pride in Place fund, they will each get £2m every year for the next decade to deliver sustained changes that will be determined by locals themselves.
Meanwhile, six council areas in Lancashire – Preston, Blackpool, Blackburn with Darwen, Burnley and Hyndburn and Pendle will be handed £1.5m each from the same pot to spend right across their patches.
It means Lancashire will get £129m in total from the fund.
The localities that will receive £20m windfalls between now and 2035 – known as middle-layer super output areas (MSOAs) – are different to council electoral wards and do not align with them, even if their names are identical or similar. They can also cross ward boundaries.
In Lancashire, the chosen six are:
Ribbleton (Preston) – includes Moor Nook and Grange Park and roughly bound by Blackpool Road in the west, Longridge Road in the north and the River Ribble in the south and east;
Little Layton and Little Carleton (Blackpool) – roughly bound by Westcliffe Drive in the west, Poutlon Road in the north, Horsebridge Road in the east and Northway Avenue in the south;
Fleetwood Town (Wyre) – bound by Broadway in the west, The Esplanade in the north, Queens Terrace in the east and Denham Way in the south;
Morecambe West End (Morecambe) – roughly bound by Sandylands Promenade in the west, Marine Road West in the north, Lake Road in the east and Norton Road in the south;
Shadsworth and Intack (Blackburn) – bound by North Road in the west, Moss Street in the north, Rothesay Road in the east and Sett End Road West in the south;
Skelmersdale South East (West Lancashire) – centred on Digmoor and roughly bound by Thorn Island in the west, Grimshaw Road in the north, Stannanought Road in the east and Digmoor Road in the south.
The government says the funding – part of a £5bn pot for the whole country – could be used reviving high streets, restoring parks and breathing new life into pubs, leisure centres and community halls.
Communities will also gain new powers to seize boarded-up shops, block nuisance businesses, and buy beloved local assets before they close – restoring what ministers say will be pride and unity to every corner of the country by backing Britain’s “true patriots” to rebuild forgotten places.
Cllr Matthew Brown, the Labour leader of Preston City Council, said: “We welcome the announcement of this funding for Preston and specifically Ribbleton, an area known for pockets of deprivation.
“For the first time, significant funding will be available on a very local level where communities will decide how the funding is spent, led by the people who know their neighbourhood and what will make the biggest difference.
“This aligns and supports Preston’s community wealth building strategy that strives to put prosperity and power in the hands of local people, to deliver inclusive growth and a more democratic economy within a fair and resilient city.”
Lorraine Beavers, Labour MP for Blackpool North and Fleetwood, said of the allocation to Fleetwood Town – which spans the Pharos and Mount wards and is not
to be confused with the football club – that now was the time for residents to come forward with ideas for projects to rejuvenate the area.
“It will be up to local people how this money is spent. This is our chance to work together and decide how this money is invested in our area. I’ll be consulting with my community throughout and that starts right now.
“I want to make sure that everyone who wants to be involved feels heard. I’m planning to use surveys, meetings, and focus groups already but I want to know what else I can do to reach my community.
“For too long, the people of Fleetwood have suffered the consequences of underinvestment. I have watched our community climb the league tables no one wants to top. We rank in the worst 10 percent for health, education, jobs, inequalities, and much more. I have watched as industry has moved away and well paid, reliable employment has become scarce. I’ve seen the consequences of this first hand – and I know how much it has hurt our community.
“I believe that our community knows how to heal itself. I know how hard so many people are working to rebuild our town, and this money is our chance to show what we can do. This is our chance to fight back and invest in our people and community.
“I have seen deprivation spread across the whole of Fleetwood and into Thornton and Cleveleys. I hope that by addressing the issues in Fleetwood Town Centre, the rest of my constituency can also prosper. We are one community and when things improve for one, they improve for us all.”
Culture at Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment under scrutiny after former medic named as murder suspect
By Michael Holmes
Fresh concerns have been raised about the culture at the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment and in the wider Armed Forces after one of its former combat medics was named as the suspect in the murder of a young Kenyan mother 13 years ago.
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