Protesters block access to Lancashire fracking site

Environmental campaigners have today blocked the entrance to a fracking site in Lancashire. Along with Greenpeace, 10 protesters are stopping work at the Preston New Road facility by linking their arms together inside reinforced yellow […]

Environmental campaigners have today blocked the entrance to a fracking site in Lancashire.

Along with Greenpeace, 10 protesters are stopping work at the Preston New Road facility by linking their arms together inside reinforced yellow blocks, adorned with the Lancashire rose, to shut down any access from the road.

They hope preventing lorries accessing the site will add to the major delays already caused by ‘peaceful’ protests since work began at the site in January.

Local councillors at Lancashire County Council previously voted to reject the planning application to harvest shale gas in 2015 but were overruled by the government following an appeal by fracking firm Cuadrilla.

Hannah Martin, Head of Energy at Greenpeace UK, said: “Peaceful protest has caused months of delays and since beginning work in January, this fracking firm has only really created a muddy field. But if the drill goes in, it will create noise, air and light pollution.

“Together with campaigners from areas facing fracking, we’ve created a Frack Free Zone, blocking work at this site and asking the government to stop fracking in its tracks and turn UK energy policy around.”

Environmental activists recently blockaded a quarry owned by a fracking supplier in the area.

Francis Egan, Cuadrilla’s CEO, said: “We can advise that the protest today is having no impact on our site construction activities, which are continuing uninterrupted.”

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