The findings are published today as some Fylde residents living close to Cuadrilla’s potential drilling sites in the area have come forward claiming shale gas developments have already affected the value of their homes and put off potential buyers and tenants.
The poll results, which form the second part of a survey by leading marketing research agency Redshift for Greenpeace UK, show nearly half (45%) of the 500 Lancashire residents interviewed are worried about the impact of fracking on house prices, with one in five (21%) saying they are very concerned.
The survey also shows 76% of local people oppose changes to trespass law, currently going through parliament, that will allow energy firms to frack underneath people’s homes without having to ask for their permission.
Ministers came under fire last August for censoring key passages in a study into the social and economic impacts of fracking believed to have included evidence of impact on house prices. [1]
Officials from both the environment and energy departments have claimed there is no evidence that shale exploration will affect house prices, but they were forced to admit to Sunday Times journalists they had not carried out any research to back up their statement. [2]
The government’s Valuation Office Agency, which values properties for council tax purposes, has confirmed that fracking, like other industrial or commercial developments near homes, could potentially erode property values. [3]
Some residents living close to the two Lancashire sites where Cuadrilla is seeking to frack have complained about substantial losses in the value of their homes and potential buyers and tenants pulling out after hearing about Cuadrilla’s plans.
Mother-of-two Dianne Westgarth, whose five-bedroom house lies about 300 yards from Cuadrilla’s site in Preston New Road, said her home was valued at £725k in 2012 but she has been told it’s now worth just £190k.
"I got this home as part of a divorce settlement, and it’s the only nest egg I have,” said Westgarth. "I was hoping to sell it and release some capital for myself and the children, but thanks to fracking this bit of financial security has vanished almost overnight. We can't sell the house and we can't move out of the area. I feel like we're trapped here. I've voted Tory all my life, but I won't do it again. They've sold us down the river to a fracking industry that just doesn't care about the impact it's having on people like us."
Rowland and Marie Taylor, whose house is about 300 metres from the Cuadrilla site at Roseacre Wood, said they recently came close to selling the property, but the sale fell through twice because of concerns from the would-be buyers about fracking. They say they have since rented out the property instead, but still found it difficult to find interested tenants.
"Every time I hear a minister claiming there's no evidence of fracking hitting house prices, it sends my blood pressure through the roof," said Mr Taylor. "How can they say it when they haven't even bothered looking for it and have censored the only known UK study on this? If they want some evidence, they can start by knocking at the doors of people living around here, and they’ll be sure to find some."
James Nisbet, who lives a few hundred metres from the Cuadrilla site in Roseacre Wood, says a few potential buyers have pulled out of purchasing his £375,000 house after learning about Cuadrilla’s plan.
“We have had five viewings, all with very positive feedback, but no one wants to commit to buying with the fracking shadow hanging over us,” said Nisbet. “And we’re not alone. I’ve been hearing the same story from quite a few people in the area. We have lived here for 15 years. I really like this place and I don’t want to move, but I also don’t particularly wish to stick around to see what fracking will do to this community.”
Commenting on the findings, Greenpeace UK energy campaigner Simon Clydesdale said:
"Many people in Lancashire are concerned about the impact of fracking on the value of their homes. They deserve better than a government that is hiding evidence while claiming there is none, and an industry which flatly denies the problem even exists.
"Ministers will have a tough job trying to persuade people they need to make this huge sacrifice for the sake of an unpopular industry that will deliver too little too late, if anything at all, for our energy security, while blighting our countryside and putting our climate commitments at risk."
ENDS
Notes:
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/aug/10/fracking-censored-house-price-reporthttp://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/news/uk_news/fracking/article1450469.ecehttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2733336/Fracking-threat-wiped-535-000-home-s-value-Five-bedroom-home-valued-190-000-drilling-site-proposed-nearby.html
Survey methodology
The survey was conducted among 502 people in Lancashire. The interviews were conducted online by Redshift Research in October 2014 using an email invitation and an online survey. You can download the full results here (Excel file).
Contacts:
Simon Clydesdale, Greenpeace UK energy and climate campaigner, simon.clydesdale@greenpeace.org, m 07989034113
Graham Thompson, Greenpeace UK press officer, graham.thompson@greenpeace.org, m 07801212960
