Balcombe launches solar community share offer

Balcombe has launched a new solar community share offer. REPOWERBalcombe, the village’s renewable energy firm, expects the share offer to raise £110,000 for the installation of 100kW of solar projects at two schools. The co-operative expects Crawley Down Village Church of England School and the Imberhorne School to use between 75% and 80% of solar […]

Thumbs up to 5MW solar farm in Balcombe

Balcombe has been given the green light to develop a 5MW solar farm. The village, which was selected for a fracking project by firm Cuadrilla, will install its community-owned solar site. It will have around 18,500 solar panels and is expected to produce enough power to cover the village’s electricity demand and a village nearby. […]

Balcombe anti-fracking group loses court battle

Anti-fracking campaigners in Balcombe have lost a High Court bid to block further exploration for oil and gas in their area. Energy company Cuadrilla was granted permission to undertake works at its site earlier this year by West Sussex County Council’s (WSCC) Planning Committee despite massive objection. The Frack Free Balcombe Residents Association (FFBRA) argued […]

Court says Balcombe residents can challenge fracking

The High Court says residents of Balcombe will be allowed to challenge the county council’s decision to grant planning permission to fracking company Cuadrilla, according to campaigners. The tiny village shot to fame last summer after weeks of fracking protests where MP Caroline Lucas was arrested. (A Brighton court ruled her not guilty of “wilful […]

Green MP found not guilty in fracking court case

MP and former Green Party leader Caroline Lucas was ruled not guilty of obstructing the public highway in court yesterday. She was arrested last summer during an anti-fracking protest outside gas firm Cuadrilla’s drilling site in the sleepy village of Balcombe, Sussex. Four other campaigners on trial at Brighton Magistrates’ Court were also found not […]

Fracking protest village forms renewable energy company

Residents of the village that was the centre of anti-fracking protests have formed their own renewable energy company. Called REPOWERBalcombe, the new co-operative plans to install around £300,000 worth of solar panels on the rooftops of local buildings in Balcombe – hoping to meet around 7.5% of the electricity demand of the village. It also […]

Fracking faces legal challenge from Greenpeace

Greenpeace has launched a legal challenge against fracking in England in a bid to halt plans for the controversial method of extracting shale gas from underground rocks. It made the announcement at a joint press conference (pictured) in Lancashire today with people whose homes are in the firing line of potential fracking sites, including those […]

Caroline Lucas MP charged over Balcombe fracking protests

Green Party MP Caroline Lucas has been charged following her arrest at the Balcombe anti-fracking protests last month. Nigel Pilkington from the Crown Prosecution Service South East said: “After careful consideration, we have concluded that there is sufficient evidence and that it is in the public interest to prosecute Ms Lucas for breaching a police […]

Cuadrilla is caving in at Balcombe, crow campaigners

Drilling firm Cuadrilla has withdrawn its application for extra time to complete its drilling and testing programme in Balcombe. Its test site has been at the centre of media attention ever since protestors set up camp outside last month (pictured). Cuadrilla had originally applied to West Sussex Council to change its existing planning permission, a […]

MP Caroline Lucas arrested at Balcombe protest

The MP and former Green Party leader Caroline Lucas has been arrested among other activists during an anti-fracking protest in West Sussex. Around 200-300 protesters are believed to have gathered at Balcombe today, outside fracking firm Cuadrilla’s drilling site and 25 protesters were arrested by 3:30pm this afternoon, for offences including “assault and obstruction of […]