Agenda item

To be moved by Councillor A. Carter and seconded by Councillor Miro:

 

This Council notes that:

 

1.    Exploration for fossil fuel reserves that can only be exploited by hydraulic fracturing, or other unconventional methods, undermines action on climate change and diverts resources away from investment in a safe, secure and sustainable low carbon energy future.

2.    There are possible significant adverse impacts from both exploratory drilling and industrial scale production of fossil fuels by hydraulic fracturing, including:

a)    immediate impacts on communities living near deposits.

b)    serious long-term impacts, over a very wide area, including water shortage, water pollution and air pollution from the extraction process, in addition to the CO produced when the fuel extracted is used - as highlighted by the European Commission and the UN.

3.    That council motions prior to the last elections to the borough council have expressed this council’s opposition to fracking.

4.    In recent months the moratorium that stopped fracking throughout the country – including planned fracking within the Borough at Harthill and Woodsetts – has been under threat as a result of changes proposed by the Conservatives.

5.    When Ed Davey MP was Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, generation from renewable energy sources almost quadrupled. As Martin Pibworth, managing director at energy firm SSE said, “it is thanks to historic investments in renewable energy the United Kingdom has a more secure energy supply compared with our European neighbours.”

6.    That Rother Valley MP, Alexander Stafford was quoted in the Yorkshire Post in July 2022 as saying that calls to resume fracking were “siren songs devoid of reality and practical knowledge” but has since worrying stated that he will now “consider all options when it comes to fracking” (Rotherham Advertiser, October 2022)

 

This Council believes that:

 

1.    The Government should have legislated a permanent ban on fracking throughout the country.

2.    Fracking should not happen in the borough, including but not limited to the sites in Harthill and Woodsetts.

 

 

This Council therefore resolves:

 

1.    To reaffirm its belief that fracking is wrong.

2.    That council group leaders write to the Secretary of State, the Prime Minister, and the Members of Parliament that represent the Borough of Rotherham asking them to bring forward legislation for a permanent ban on fracking.

3.    That Council group leaders write to the MP for Rother Valley, asking him to clarify his views on Fracking within the borough.

It was moved by Councillor A. Carter and seconded by Councillor Miro:

 

This Council notes that:

 

1.    Exploration for fossil fuel reserves that can only be exploited by hydraulic fracturing, or other unconventional methods, undermines action on climate change and diverts resources away from investment in a safe, secure and sustainable low carbon energy future.

 

2.    There are possible significant adverse impacts from both exploratory drilling and industrial scale production of fossil fuels by hydraulic fracturing, including:

a.    immediate impacts on communities living near deposits.

b.    serious long-term impacts, over a very wide area, including water shortage, water pollution and air pollution from the extraction process, in addition to the CO produced when the fuel extracted is used - as highlighted by the European Commission and the UN.

3.    That Council motions prior to the last elections to the Borough Council have expressed this Council’s opposition to fracking.

 

4.    In recent months the moratorium that stopped fracking throughout the country – including planned fracking within the Borough at Harthill and Woodsetts – has been under threat as a result of changes proposed by the Conservatives.

5.    When Ed Davey MP was Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, generation from renewable energy sources almost quadrupled. As Martin Pibworth, managing director at energy firm SSE said, “it is thanks to historic investments in renewable energy the United Kingdom has a more secure energy supply compared with our European neighbours.”

 

6.    That Rother Valley MP, Alexander Stafford was quoted in the Yorkshire Post in July 2022 as saying that calls to resume fracking were “siren songs devoid of reality and practical knowledge” but has since worrying stated that he will now “consider all options when it comes to fracking” (Rotherham Advertiser, October 2022)

 

This Council believes that:

 

1.    The Government should have legislated a permanent ban on fracking throughout the country.

 

2.    Fracking should not happen in the Borough, including but not limited to the sites in Harthill and Woodsetts.

 

This Council resolves:

 

1.    To reaffirm its belief that fracking is wrong.

 

2.    That Council Group Leaders write to the Secretary of State, the Prime Minister, and the Members of Parliament that represent the Borough of Rotherham asking them to bring forward legislation for a permanent ban on fracking.

 

3.    That Council group leaders write to the MP for Rother Valley, asking him to clarify his views on Fracking within the Borough.

 

It was then moved by Councillor Z. Collingham and seconded by Councillor T. Collingham that the motion be amended as follows:

 

This Council notes that:

 

1.    DELETE: Exploration for fossil fuel reserves that can only be exploited by hydraulic fracturing, or other unconventional methods, undermines action on climate change and diverts resources away from investment in a safe, secure and sustainable low carbon energy future.

 

2.    There are possible significant adverse impacts from both exploratory drilling and industrial scale production of fossil fuels by hydraulic fracturing, including:

a)    immediate impacts on communities living near deposits.

b)    serious long-term impacts, over a very wide area, including water shortage, water pollution and air pollution from the extraction process, in addition to the CO produced when the fuel extracted is used - as highlighted by the European Commission and the UN.

3.    That Council motions prior to the last elections to the Borough Council have expressed this Council’s opposition to fracking.

 

4.    DELETE: In recent months the moratorium that stopped fracking throughout the country – including planned fracking within the Borough at Harthill and Woodsetts – has been under threat as a result of changes proposed by the Conservatives.

 

5.    DELETE: When Ed Davey MP was Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, generation from renewable energy sources almost quadrupled. As Martin Pibworth, managing director at energy firm SSE said, “it is thanks to historic investments in renewable energy the United Kingdom has a more secure energy supply compared with our European neighbours.”

 

6.    DELETE: That Rother Valley MP, Alexander Stafford was quoted in the Yorkshire Post in July 2022 as saying that calls to resume fracking were “siren songs devoid of reality and practical knowledge” but has since worrying stated that he will now “consider all options when it comes to fracking” (Rotherham Advertiser, October 2022).

INSERT:

3. The Government maintains a moratorium on fracking.

 

4. Rother Valley MP, Alexander Stafford, has consistently campaigned against fracking and voted against it in Parliament.

 

5. the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Michael Gove, refused permission to test fracking in Woodsetts in June 2022, in a decision that the Campaign to Protect Rural England said ‘now firmly shuts the door’ on fracking (CPRE, 8 June 2022).

 

DELETE: This Council believes that:

 

1.    The Government should have legislated a permanent ban on fracking throughout the country.

 

2.    Fracking should not happen in the Borough, including but not limited to the sites in Harthill and Woodsetts.

 

This Council resolves:

 

1.    DELETE: To reaffirm its belief that fracking is wrong.

 

2.    DELETE: That Council Group Leaders write to the Secretary of State, the Prime Minister, and the Members of Parliament that represent the Borough of Rotherham asking them to bring forward legislation for a permanent ban on fracking.

 

3.    DELETE: That Council croup leaders write to the MP for Rother Valley, asking him to clarify his views on Fracking within the Borough.

 

INSERT:

 

1.    To reaffirm its opposition to fracking in the Borough.

 

2.    To reiterate its support for the Government moratorium on fracking and refusal of permission for fracking in Woodsetts.

 

3.    That the Group Leaders write to Alexander Stafford MP, asking him to continue his opposition to fracking in Rother Valley.

 

On being put to the vote, the amendment to the motion was declared as lost.

 

The substantive motion (as moved by Councillor A. Carter and seconded by Councillor Miro) was then debated.

 

Resolved:-

 

On being put to the vote, the original motion was declared as carried.

 

Mover:- Councillor A. Carter                             Seconder:- Councillor Miro