Mother hosts meeting to raise fracking issue

Concerned Graizelound mother-of-two, Julie Fields, is keen to raise awareness of the issue and has now put out a warning through a ‘well-attended’ meeting.

Fracking is a process in which liquid is injected in to underground rocks through boreholes, at high pressure to fracture them, causing them to release methane gas. Campaigners fear it could cause pollution.

Mrs Fields is now looking to form an action group to monitor applications associated with fracking and to keep people informed of any active plans.

The 37-year old said: “I’m no hardened campaigner and this is not politically motivated. I am shocked by what I have learned about the fracking process and want to help preserve the rural area I live in.

“I was delighted with the turnout of about 50 people to our information meeting in Haxey, and hope we can move on from there. It’s possible that drilling could begin within six months in this area and that, to me, is worrying. People need to know what has occurred in other places so that they can ask the right questions about how our environment might be affected.”

Former parish councillor Jean Turner of Epworth attended the meeting and said: “There are eight sites earmarked already in the Isle and it’s my belief there will be another eight. Test drills are bad enough within communities. This kind of work can lead to all kinds of pollution with heavy traffic on rural roads and property prices slashed.”

Chairman of Haxey and Westwoodside Parish Council David Knowles said: “It was a good meeting with a good exchange of information, but people should be aware that no applications for work of this nature are active currently, as those made in 2009 have all lapsed. Any further applications would have to come before the parish council and be subject to consultation.”

Eight sites are identified in and around the Isle as having received licences for exploration by the Department of Energy and Climate Change and are spread from Crowle to Amcotts, Belton, Luddington, Keadby and Althorpe, West Butterwick and up to Broughton.