Councillors pledge to back community on fracking

FRODSHAM councillors Andrew Dawson and Lynn Riley have pledged to support the local community view if proposals to carry out fracking in the local area ever come forward.
They have told oil and gas exploration company IGas that if plans are ever put forward to extract gas in the Frodsham and Helsby area, they will insist that nothing be permitted unless it is demonstrably safe and that the environment is protect.
IGas, via their consultants, Tesla, are to conduct further seismic studies in Ellesmere Port, Helsby and part of Frodsham.
They want to find out if there is coal bed methane and shale gas in sufficient quantities to make further exploration worthwhile.
IGas have held a public exhibition at the Holiday Inn in Ellesmere Port  where they explained what they were intending to do.
Cllrs Riley and Dawson were present and were able to discuss the proposals with the company and learn more about their plans.
Cllr Dawson said: ‘We have to thank IGas and Tesla for holding this public meeting and for sharing with us what their seismic study will entail.
“I asked them for a commitment to publish a synopsis of their results in due course and I am delighted that they agreed to do so.  I think it is very important that all of us know what lies beneath our feet.’
Cllr Riley said: ‘This meeting gave Andrew and I another opportunity to put forward our position on shale gas and fracking – this time directly to IGas.
“We both reminded IGas that if they find gas reserves and they submit applications to extract the gas we will be insistent that nothing should be permitted unless it is demonstrably safe and that full protection of the environment is guaranteed.”
Cllr Dawson added: “If any application is ever submitted to permit fracking we will make sure that the community is fully informed about the proposals and we want to make sure that it is the local community that has the decisive say as to whether they should proceed.
“This means that any developer will have to explain their proposals fully to the community.  Both Lynn and I are committed to putting forward the community consensus view if we ever reach that point – whatever that may prove to be.”
Even if methane gas reserves are found it is far from certain that it would be economic to exploit them – especially with the price of oil being historically low.
IGas have the right to explore for shale gas and coal bed methane reserves on Frodsham marshes, across the whole of Helsby as well as Ince, Elton and parts of Ellesmere Port.
Even though the area includes part of the Frodsham ward it does not include the main settlement area of Frodsham.
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