Greenpeace fracks Lancashire County Council

Around 10 campaigners, dressed as workers from fracking company Frack & Go, have erected a large fracking rig and surrounded it with an 8m high fence just outside the chamber’s main entrance.

A soundtrack of drills, trucks and industrial plant is playing as councillors enter the building.

Frack&Go is the same drilling company that took over the Chancellor’s village green in Tatton earlier this year.

The development control committee, that will ultimately grant permission for drilling in Lancashire, is meeting inside County Hall today, with Lancashire widely seen as the test case for whether fracking goes ahead nationally. Yesterday Cuadrilla announced their intention to restart operations in Lancashire at the end of this month, after earthquakes caused them to delay for over a year.

Preston resident and Greenpeace supporter Liz Stanton said: “Cuadrilla is proposing to invade precious parts of Lancashire with trucks, drills, flares and chemicals. They’re even planning on drilling under people’s homes without permission. This is a case of big, rich companies exploiting the county for their own gain and leaving locals with very little. County councillors must say no.”