Environmental campaigners sealed off the main entrance to the Prime Minister’s period cottage in the picturesque Cotswold hamlet of Dean earlier this morning. They managed to put up security fencing all along the garden wall and a sign reading, ‘We apologise for any inconvenience while we frack under your house’.
The site displayed the Frack&Go brand, Greenpeace’s pioneer shale gas firm that previously brought fracking to George Osborne’s constituency office and the seat of Lancashire County Council [1].
The Frack&Go operation took place as new legislation is expected to be announced in the Queen’s Speech later today that will allow fracking firms to carry out under-house fracking without having to obtain permission from home and landowners.
Three quarters of people in Britain – and 73% of potential Tory voters – are against ministers’ plans to strip people of their access rights in order to clear the way for fracking, according to a recent YouGov survey [2].
Greenpeace UK energy campaigner Simon Clydesdale said:
“We have to say the police have a point, you shouldn’t be allowed to just turn up outside someone’s home and start fracking under their garden without their permission. But following today’s announcement we’re one big step closer to a law that will compel police to side with the frackers over homeowners.
“The Prime Minister is robbing millions of their right to say no to fracking under their homes for the benefit of a few energy companies. He should stop chasing this shale pipe dream to focus on the real-world solutions that can boost our energy and climate security, like slashing energy waste and backing clean technologies.”
ENDS
Pictures are available here: Cameron Fracking Photos 04.06.2014
Footage of the action is available here: http://we.tl/v23LXgs0w4 or contact Marge Glynn on 020 8765 8122, marge.glynn@greenpeace.org
Notes
[1] http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-21653311
Contacts:
Stefano Gelmini (in London) t 020 7865 8162 m 07506 512442 stefano.gelmini@greenpeace.org
