Blackpool councillor enters fracking argument after Reform comments

Councillor Paul Galley said Blackpool and the Fylde coast had already experienced tremors after the previous bout of fracking and did not want a return to it.

He was speaking after Richard Tice, the Reform’s deputy leader and energy spokesperson, talked up the controversial mode of gas production.

However, a Reform UK spokesman hit back and said the comments about fracking did not relate to the Fylde coast or even Lancashire.

Mr Tice said there was “potentially hundreds of billions” in “energy treasure [available] in the form of shale gas” and that it was “grossly financially negligent to a criminal degree to leave that value underground and not to extract it”.

Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, is a technique for extracting oil and natural gas from deep shale rock layers by drilling into the earth and pumping a high-pressure mixture of water, sand, and chemicals to create cracks in the rock, releasing the trapped resources.

The sand holds these cracks open, allowing gas and oil to flow into the well for collection.

But the method is controversial and has been linked to earth tremors, including a string of incidents on the Fylde coast.

Fracking was controversially undertaken by energy firm Cuadrilla at Preston New Road, outside Blackpool, in 2018, attracting a string of protesters.

However, a moratorium was imposed in 2019 following the recording of over 120 tremors during drilling, which caused damage and sparked local opposition.

A Govcernment ban in October 2022, effectively halting the process indefinitely.

What Coun Galley said

Cllr Galley, the leader of Blackpool Council’s Conservative group, said: “Blackpool and the Fylde coast should be deeply worried by Nigel Farage and Richard Tice jumping back on the fracking bandwagon.

“Reform UK are promising to bring back fracking as if it were some magical solution – but we know the truth here on the Fylde.

“Our geology is not suited to fracking. Blackpool has already experienced earth tremors, and residents have lived with the fear of long-term environmental damage.

“Do we really want to risk poisonous groundworks, water contamination, and an unsafe environment for future generations just to chase a false promise?

“They may dress it up as energy independence but the reality is Reform are openly aligning themselves with big oil and gas donors – putting corporate interests before the safety of residents.”

Reform UK’s response

However, a Reform UK spokesman said said the situation has already been explained by Cll Joshua Roberts, the Lancashire County Council Cabinet Member for Rural Affairs, Environment and Communities and councillor for Fylde East.

The spokesman said: “As Cllr Joshua Roberts has stated previously, the conditions in the Fylde Coast are not conducive to fracking, and there are no plans for it to take place here.

“While Reform UK does support fracking on a case-by-case basis, any activity is expected to be more likely in the East of England rather than the Northwest.”