In a process managed by the Tory Government, the UK’s oil and gas regulator announced this week that 27 onshore blocks from the 14th Onshore Oil and Gas Licensing Round will be formally offered to companies as ‘licence blocks’ for potential ‘Fracking’ sites.

Two of these ‘blocks’ are within the City Of York authority, with one occupying much of the city.

This causes me great concern on three counts, none of which is due to NIMBYism.

1 – For those who believe in the human contribution to climate change through the burning of fossil fuels (and for the record I am one), the acceleration of fossil fuel production is a concern. I appreciate that the relative emissions from shale gas are lower than, say coal, however the world already has more reserves than it can safely afford to burn; 2 – The preference being shown to the Fracking industry is at odds with Government plans to cut support for the renewable energy industry; 3 – The Tory Secretary of State for energy, Amber Rudd, last week announced plans to ‘Fast Track’ the planning system for Fracking. She explained that government would step in where Councils took too long (more than 16 weeks). This undermines local autonomy on a crucial issue.

Amber Rudd appears to have forgotten the principle of ‘Localism’. Moreover, I am concerned and dismayed that the short-term energy and climate change policies of this government do little to support their claim of being the greenest government ever.

Stuart Barnes,

Labour Party Councillor for Acomb and Deputy Leader of the Labour Group,

Scott Street, York