The political consensus on fracking has crumbled in Lancashire

So much debate in full council that choosing what to write about was as headache-inducing as listening to it for four hours

Hello and welcome to The Lancashire Lead.

It has been a politics-heavy week for me. On Thursday evening I was the only reporter attending the count for the Preston City Council by-election in Ashton ward which saw the Lib Dems take a seat with Reform UK in second. Previous winners Labour were in third, mirroring the national mood and trend.

Saturday morning then was time to catch up on a full meeting of Lancashire County Council - it was over four hours and I write this introduction fresh from a 5am alarm to digest it properly.

From the topic of misinformation to the salary of the chief executive, and the decision broadly agreed upon where councillors will not increase their allowances for the next year amid threats to services (brought on by the same councillors), there was a lot to digest and we simply can’t get to it all in one edition.

So we focus, almost inevitably, on the topics of fracking and Net Zero. When Tice and Farage said they would be encouraging fracking at every opportunity if - as seems more likely with every day - they are the next party to lead the country, Reform UK were insistent that their claim would not apply to Lancashire.

That stance has been softened now - with the suggestion that they back the current pause on fracking but acknowledging that the mood could change, particularly with Farage as Prime Minister. They also suggested that while it’s not safe for Lancashire right now - technology evolves and it could be in future.

Lancashire briefing

💷 News moves fast and it’s therefore likely we’ll move on from this week’s full council meeting at rapid pace. So it would be remiss not to mention the debate over scrutiny committees and allowances. A number of Reform UK councillors have been made chairs of scrutiny committees at County Hall - something that attracted the ire of every party that isn’t Reform. Cllr Stephen Atkinson, Lancashire County Council’s Reform UK leader, said this is a reflection of the need for a fresh pair of eyes and the failure of previous leaders. Opponents said it is the equivalent of Reform UK marking its own homework - it is common practice for opposition parties to chair scrutiny committees for this reason.

It crosses over, somewhat, with the agreement that councillors should not have their allowances increased for the next year despite the recommendations made independently to the council. The move to freeze allowances will save around £115,000 in the next year, according to Atkinson, but more importantly shows ‘something fundamental’ about its priorities. Nobody disagreed with that - but it was pointed out that the number of Reform UK councillors chairing committees and in cabinet roles is ‘lining pockets’ in a different way.

🎒 A powerful education body has voted to block a plan by Reform UK to withhold £6m in funding that it currently gives to nurseries and pre-school providers – amid warnings that some of them could be forced to close as a result. Lancashire County Council is now considering the results of a consultation into its proposal, which closed last week. It has the option of appealing against the schools forum’s decision by referring the matter to the Education Secretary for a final ruling.

⛏️ Residents in Preesall have had ‘the sword of Damocles taken away from above their heads’ after a controversial quarry scheme was thrown out this week, a leading campaigner said. Collette Rushforth, a Wyre councillor for the village, admitted there were tears of joy and relief after councillors at Lancashire County Council overwhelmingly rejected the quarry proposals. After the decision was made at County Hall’s Development Control Committee, campaigners against the quarry spontaneously burst into applause.

A pint in The Old Vic in Preston after the decision

Know something we should be covering or featuring in Lancashire? All story tip-offs are welcome to luke@thelead.uk

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Reform UK suggest change in government would mean opinion has changed on fracking

Deputy leader of Progressive Lancashire alliance Cllr Gina Dowding makes a point at full council

By Luke Beardsworth

The consensus on fracking in Lancashire is beginning to crumble after Reform UK refused a motion to support permanently banning the practice.

The topic of fracking, so controversial in the previous decade thanks to failed efforts at Preston New Road, has been back on the table of late thanks to clear support from Nigel Farage and, in particular, Richard Tice for the practice.

The initial response from County Hall was that Reform UK were not against fracking but opposed it locally where it had already proved to not be suitable - but that sentiment has quickly eroded.

The motion was put forward by Labour group leader at Lancashire County Council Cllr Mark Clifford at a meeting of the full council on Thursday (16 October)

He said: “We stand at a crossroads. The decision we make will echo far beyond this chamber. Fracking has already left its mark on Lancashire, we all remember the tremors that shook homes and public confidence.

“In 2019, a 2.9 magnitude earthquake near Preston New Road forced the government to impose a moratorium because even the oil and gas authority admitted it’s impossible to predict the risk of these earthquakes. It threatens our water supplies, air quality and countryside. It also undermines our fight against climate change and the people of Lancashire have already spoken.

“Fracking will create hundreds, not thousands, of jobs and most would vanish when the drilling ends. The UK’s low carbon and renewable energy economy employs over 314,000 people. These are sustainable long-term jobs that strengthen communities. Lancashire has enormous renewable potential. By 2030, we can power hundreds of thousands of homes. These are not dreams, but achievable targets.

“Let us declare Lancashire a frack free zone and call on the government to legislate a permanent ban. Let us invest in home grown clean energy - wind, solar and tidal to create jobs and cut bills.”

But instead, an amendment by Cllr Joel Tetlow was passed which essentially altered it to vow the continuation of the moratorium on fracking and call for a full review of domestic energy sources.

Cllr Clifford said that if Reform UK vows to stick with the science then there was nothing to amend - as fracking will never be declared safe.

Cllr David Whipp, of the Lib Dems, said that Reform UK was behaving in line with the views from its funders.

He said: “Unfortunately it’s quite clear Reform is the political arm of the fossil fuel lobby. Between 2019 and 2024, 92% of their funding was from climate change deniers and fossil fuel interests.