Council rebel too ill to attend meeting

REBEL councillor Kevin Bennett – who planned to bombard Monday’s meeting of Warrington Borough Council with a series of nine questions and also a motion –  has revealed that ill health will prevent him from attending the meeting.
But in an email to  councillors and senior officers he asks that he be provided with written answers to his questions and that his motion – which deals with the controversial issue of fracking – still be put to the meeting by his seconder, Liberal Democrat  Cllr  Stephen Krizanac.
Cllr Bennett (pictured), formerly a member of the council’s Labour group but now representing the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) says that four weeks ago he was rushed into Warrington Hospital with severe chest pains.
He was then transferred to the specialist heart hospital in Liverpool for tests where it was discovered he had an inflammation on the wall of his heart.
He has since been on medication which causes him to slur his words and feel sleepy.
Cllr Bennett said: “I had hoped to be able to come off the medication before now but without them the pain is so intense that I must now accept that I am not going to make it to the meeting.
“ I know this will probably please some of the members, but I am hoping that you will allow my motion to go forward and allow my seconder, Cll. Krizanac to speak to the motion.”
Cllr Bennett’s motion reads as follows: “Given the recent experience of Lancashire County Council, this council notes with concern the potential environmental issues associated with fracking and would expect that any planning application concerning fracking be treated with the greatest care.”
The rebel councillor said a report in 2013 from the Environment Agency stated that fracking could contaminate water supplies.
Vast quantities of clean water were used in fracking and then became contaminated and had to be stored somewhere.
If water supplies were contaminated by the dangerous chemicals used in the fracking process it would be devastating for the people of Warrington
In addition, primary drilling and fracking itself caused disruption to and the destruction of wildlife and the landscape.
Cllr Bennett added: “This government cares more about profits for energy companies, than it does about what happens to people. They still plan to ‘go all out’ for fracking despite evidence of health and environmental dangers.”
He hoped the council would support his motion and, in the future, consider banned fracking in Warrington.
The nine questions Cllr Bennett had hoped to put to the council concern various issues including the provision of a transit site for gypsies and travellers,  local bus services, street lighting, rat infestations and the Living Wage.