To the delight of the locals in Blyth and Barnby Moor, the Tinker Lane fracking site is now plugged from top to bottom with concrete and abandoned and preparations are being made to fully restore the site. The protester camp at Barnby Moor is fully restored, with locals commenting that it is in better condition than it was before.
Misson Springs fracking site is now the focus of the Frack Free Tinker Lane and Frack Free Mission groups’ attention where Igas have drilled to a depth of 2,500 metres and have indeed encountered the Bowland Shale. They will continue drilling to a depth of 3,500 meters.
The peaceful protest and monitoring at Misson Springs is being stepped up and even saw local children having half term fun in February joining their parents at the gates. Giant bubble making and skipping kept them well entertained.
‘Wildlife Wednesdays’ at the gates highlight the concern about the SSSI just 120 metres away from the fracking site. It is feared that the five different species of owls nesting in the SSSI will be disturbed by the 24/7 drilling. Protesters were joined by representatives of the Wildlife Trust who share the concerns about fracking so close to Misson Carr: “The strength of local feeling about the need to protect the wildlife of Misson Carr is plain to see and we need people to tell politicians that nature is important in their lives. We welcome the efforts of Frack Free Misson in continuing to raise awareness of these issues.”
So, if you have an hour or two to spare why not join the protesters some of whom are dressing up as animal characters. You can be sure of a warm welcome and a cuppa.
The ‘Winter Warmer Ceilidh’ organised by Frack Free Misson at the end of February was a huge success with participants enjoying themselves whilst ‘stripping the willow’ and other dance moves.
At the beginning of March many determined protesters made their way to London Parliament Square to bring their concerns closer to the Government. The Misson Owls were present whilst locals and protesters from other communities addressed the crowds. They were joined by Dennis Skinner MP and Rebecca Long-Bailey MP from the Labour Party who reaffirmed that Labour will ban fracking as “it would lock us into an energy infrastructure based on fossil fuels, long after the point in 2030 when the Committee on Climate Change says gas in the UK must sharply decline.” [Labour manifesto 2017].
Fracking in Clumber Park
You may have seen that the National Trust has been forced by the fracking company INEOS to withdraw their legal opposition and allow seismic surveying at Clumber Park. The Trust states: “Fracking firms can use the Mines Act 1966 to secure rights to land, and the grounds on which we can object to this are very limited. We’ve therefore had to take the incredibly hard decision to withdraw our legal opposition to surveying and will now focus on ensuring fracking doesn’t happen here.”