Businesses are ready to adapt

With the possible advent of a brand new energy industry being created here on the Fylde coast, it would be pro-active and forward thinking of the private sector to get together with people of differing backgrounds and professions - from small businesses, to academia and the charitable sector - to understand how the responsible extraction of natural gas from Lancashire’s shale can be used to create jobs and generate economic growth.

In recent years, I have been strongly advocating on local TV, radio and in the press that if all the environmental concerns are identified, mitigated and addressed to allow safe and responsible extraction of shale, then this will benefit businesses, create jobs and improve the local economy.

Today, details have been published of the newly-formed North West Energy Task Force, inviting people to challenge industry and policy makers to get behind Bowland shale.

Our efforts are supported by over 100 North West regional job and wealth creators.

I was recently invited to join and our role is to focus on the potential economic and business benefits.

In recent years, we have become concerned about the politicisation of the debate and the failure of media to focus on economic and business facts surrounding natural gas from Lancashire’s shale.

As job and wealth creators, we know what is needed to get our region’s economy moving forward.

That is why – in this increasingly competitive global economy – we support the efforts to develop natural gas from Lancashire’s shale.

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