YP Letters: Fracking fury as Ryedale residents take on Government

JAMES Reed’s article on fracking (The Yorksire Post, April 7) highlights the differences between the views actually held by host communities, versus the Government having the Environment Agency tell us what we ought to believe.

Given the recent record of the Environment Agency and that of the fracking industry where currently practised, it is hardly surprising that cynicism and distrust reigns within the host communities. The suggestion of setting up “buffer zones” is not a convincing compromise.

The article alludes to some of the costs placed upon the host community and hopefully Yorkshire County Council will take account of the true economic cost of this gas to the community and our environment.

Local businesses have pointed out the consequential loses that they will incur, where the economy relies so heavily on tourism based on a clean and natural environment. Businesses will suffer at every stage in the build-up, the operation, the expansion and later in the clean-up, thus creating a massive cross subsidy to the fracking operator. Then there’s the effect on home values, and ability to insure property, deriving a further cross subsidy from local residents

In spite of claims to be self-regulating, there will be the cost of the Environment Agency and the HSE effectively having to police this operation (as effectively as the EA can be trusted), and there appear to be no absolute guarantees that Third Energy will clean up after any accidents or when the operations finish.

From: Michael Tanner, Nawton, North Yorkshire.

I CONGRATULATE North Yorkshire County Council on its in-depth investigation of the fracking industry. The Third Energy planning application at Kirby Misperton must surely be one the most opposed applications to date by the people of Ryedale. Ryedale District Council, Malton and Norton towns, all the market towns and many Parish Councils have voted to oppose.

However, with news of fracking incidents emerging from America on a weekly basis, the only prudent policy is to apply the precautionary principle and declare a moratorium. If one well is allowed, there will be no stopping the further industrialisation of North Yorkshire.

Are we to believe the spin from central Government whose advise comes from industry funded committees or ex gas industry officials? What is more important the profit of these gas companies, many of whom ultimately are based in offshore tax havens, or the farming and tourist industries that make our area so special? I sincerely hope that North Yorkshire County Council will stand up for us and future generations and oppose the application.

Offshore outrage

From: Dave Croucher, Pinfold Gardens, Doncaster.

THE sheer greed of the rich and famous, and the lengths they go to increase the size of their piles of money is shocking (Bill Carmichael, The Yorkshire Post, April 8). They are already getting the best of everything with all rules and regulations being made to favour them, and still they are not satisfied. The lower income people in this country are having to take smaller wage increases, work longer hours and lose more and more of our amenities to pay for this offshore banking.

From: Michael Dennis, Laverton, Ripon.

WE pay our Prime Ministers a pittance – at least compared to CEOs of major companies and relative to many local government officials.

Fortunately, most of our Prime Ministers are well educated at good schools and universities – apparently to the annoyance of some.

We expect them to be on top of every item on the national and international agenda, at all times.

We expect them to work 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 52 weeks of the year –indeed we complain and deem it newsworthy when they take a few days off with their family, in the sunshine over Easter.

It now seems as though we want a witch hunt when it emerges that one of them has taken advantage of a totally legal investment of £30,000.

Whitby folk not to blame

From: Edward Grainger, Nunthorpe, North Yorkshire.

I MUST spring to the defence of the people of Whitby who own a dog, following recent correspondence.

I have known the town for over 60 years and, until recently, it was always a pleasure to visit.

However, the problems associated with dog dirt and for that matter litter, mostly associated with the sale of fish and chips, come from the day-trippers arriving by motor car, and whose first action on arrival appears to be to let the canine passenger out of the vehicle and to head for any one of the food outlets.

Local Whitby people have more sense than to mingle with the trippers, preferring to walk their dogs after 6pm at night and, in my experience, clearing up any mess as they are rightly proud of their town.

This mess on the streets problem isn’t confined to Whitby, and it’s getting worse as people allow their actions to spoil our lonely coastline. Shame on them.