Back on 8th April 2014, campaigners from Manchester Friends of the Earth joined forces with local residents to present a petition to Salford Council, calling on them to oppose fracking at Barton Moss.
Salford Council says that petitions “containing over 3,000 names will be automatically referred to the cabinet for consideration.”
As our petition had over 3,500 signatures from people who lived, worked or studied in Salford, we were invited to give a 5-minute presentation to the council’s Cabinet.
We wanted to hear where councillors stood on this threat to the health of their residents and the environment.
However, we were rather bemused to find ourselves being ushered out of the council chamber at the end of the presentation, with the Mayor, Ian Stewart, saying meeting protocol didn’t allow for any discussion or questions – but that the matter would be discussed by the Cabinet.
However, six months later we have still not heard anything from Salford Council, even though we’ve written to them on a number of occasions and hundreds of residents have emailed the Mayor asking for a response.
We think this is totally unacceptable.
Other councillors in Greater Manchester have gone on record asking questions and showing their opposition to fracking, including Kate Chappell, Manchester City Council’s Executive Member for the Environment; Colin Lambert, former leader of Rochdale Council; and Trafford councillor Jane Baugh.
“We are committed to being the greenest borough in the country and fracking does not fit in with this green policy.” (Colin Lambert, Rochdale Council Leader 2013).
If other councillors have been willing to talk to their residents and voters about the fracking issue – why are Salford councillors so reluctant to respond to the legitimate questions raised by the people of Salford?
If you think it is time that Salford councillors answered the fracking question, please click on the link below to send a tweet to the Mayor of Salford, Ian Stewart, demanding a fracking answer!
We have provided a choice of two tweets – just click on one (or both) of the links below:
Your tweet will include the photo shown below.
For more information on fracking and why Fracking is a Dirty Word please click on the briefing links below.
Shale gas: not all it’s fracked up to be (pdf) Nov 2013
Shale gas myth buster: why fracking won’t deliver on energy bills, the economy or energy supply.