Green Party Caroline Lucas MP comes to Croydon!

Picture by Ross Hemingway

Earlier this week the most famous anti-fracking protester, possibly in the world, Green Party MP Caroline Lucas, came to Croydon. I think it might have been her first visit to our fair borough - at least in my time as a member. It was a joint visit with Green Party MEP for London, Jean Lambert. Jean was touring a couple of boroughs in South London with list candidates in the European Elections.

It was decided that the focus of the visit would be fracking. To this end, I ordered a banner from Brown Signs on Whitehorse Road in Croydon. Toni Brown was very helpful in working out what dimensions and wording would work best, all for an excellent price.

The press release to the photo opp is here.

Unsurprisingly there was a fantastic turnout from our local members and candidates, especially as it was 1pm on a Monday. Three local papers came to take photos and interview Caroline. Gordon Ross and I organised the photo opp - which went to plan (including the weather), except, I still haven't come across a photo that ticks all the boxes. Caroline was so professional. She maintained her wonderful smile for the cameras long after we had all lost interest! I have posted about this on our Facebook page, with an example.

In Park Hill, Croydon

Our Lewisham colleague Dave Plummer took a really good picture (above) but it is a bit fuzzy around the edges.

It was great boost to us all to welcome Caroline to Croydon, especially as many of us activists are starting to feel the pace. Afterwards we joked that we should send our Action Day emails to the membership hinting that Caroline Lucas would be in attendance. We could leaflet whole wards in a matter of hours!




Tags croydon, greenparty

FRACKING: Not everyone agrees with our positon.

So we've spent many hours to produce the image above. First we assembled, then we posed, and then we did the post production, including purchasing the copyright of frack pad image. Many hours work. We got the idea from Lambeth Greens.

Just as local Greens are about to use the image, I spotted something hilarious. The gentleman furthest to the right in the background is indicating his displeasure, at our principled stance, by cupping his hand in the orthodox 'merchant banker' gesture - in our direction! We've decided to crop him in the finished version.

Tags croydon, greenparty

First response to my fracking letter.

Letters Page Croydon Guardian

Labour - more specifically Waddon Labour Party - are the first to respond to my letter that appeared in the Croydon Guardian. Full version below.

Am I the only one that thinks that this is similar to how the Tories promised not build an incinerator?? Labour nationally are pro- fracking but after initially claiming to be against "urban fracking in Croydon", Waddon Labour are now saying that the "Labour Party in Croydon is opposed to fracking". The stakes are high, especially in Waddon - the top swing ward in the borough. Labour members are now publicly asking Greens not to stand in Waddon to ensure pivotal votes don't go to the Green party. Here is an example. Ostensibly, is it possible that Labour will say anything to win crucial votes to win Waddon ward? After all, there is a precedent. #waddonconservativecouncillors

24.02.2014

Dear Editor

This is an open letter to the Conservative, Labour, Lib Dem and UKIP parties in Croydon. Polls show that only half the country is in favour of shale gas extraction, otherwise known as fracking in the UK. Yet, the only party opposed to fracking in the UK is the Green party. Moreover, through talking to people on the doorstep, I have found that nearly all residents in favour of fracking have second thoughts if the well to be fracked is near where they live. Additionally, they cannot comprehend Croydon council approving such an application, but again have second thoughts when reminded the Prime Minister is changing planning law to monetarily reward councils for each successful well. What I have also found is that hardly anyone is aware that one of the very few exploratory fracking licenses to be granted in the UK, including the only one within the M25, covers a belt across the middle of Croydon.

Given the risks associated with drilling vertically for 1-2 miles and then horizontally for 1 mile, followed by pumping water, sand and a concoction of chemicals into the well at very high pressure, the other political parties in Croydon need to be clear, upfront and honest about their position. So the question I ask the other parties is: Will your local party defy national policy and join us in opposing all fracking applications in Croydon?

Yours sincerely

Shasha Khan

Croydon Green Party

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Tags croydon, greenparty

Gagging law video

To many it is not clear how campaign groups like 38 Degrees will be affected by the new law.  This video explains more:

A crucial vote takes place on 10th Sept.
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Tags croydon, greenparty

Fracking in the local news

Page 3 - Croydon Advertiser August 23rd 2013

Online version of above article

Our local party is getting some good coverage in the local press on the issue of fracking. Again we are campaigning on an issue of principle.....just like on the incinerator. Gordon was quoted in Inside Croydon here.

The picture in the above article appears in this video.

Scene at the main camp on Direct Action Day at Balcombe

It was good to see many locals at the camp on the day I went to Balcombe. They stood out! The average protester looked new age/grungy. I sometimes wonder if  HM intelligence services deliberately send undercover officers to ecological protests in extreme hippy-esque garb. Apart from blending in, these officers would add fuel to the, 'benefit scrounging hippies only turn up to this type of protest' argument. The reality is that 'ordinary' people who wouldn't ordinarily support such a campaign are very concerned about fracking.

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Tags croydon, greenparty

***CKING IN SUTTON at the Carshalton Environmental Fair

Stall - front on - through the suns rays

Stall - side on

Just got a text from our local party treasurer, our stall at today's Environmental Fair raised a record amount of money, and we came home with a record number of names on our mailing list. One wonders if our Green MP Caroline Lucas' brave stand at Balcombe has increased the level of interest in the Green Party. Certainly, the levels of interest were increased once the giant 'FRACKING IN SUTTON' board (seen partly in the first picture) was placed on display. Festival goers were shocked to find out that Northdown Energy Limted has a licence to explore for shale gas in Sutton (see map below). A big thank you to everyone that helped put on such a fantastic stall. Special thanks to Tracey Hague.

FRACKING IN SUTTON

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Tags croydon, greenparty

Balcombe video

Video shot in the Green Party gazebo at the Balcombe protest site.

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Tags croydon, greenparty

Frack off Cuadrilla and Northdown

At the Balcombe protest

19.08.13

Press release:

Local Green visits Balcombe on day Green Party MP is arrested during peaceful protest.

Earlier today Croydon Green Party leader, Shasha Khan, travelled to Balcombe in West Sussex to show support for residents in their stand against fracking.

Protests have been going on at Balcombe since fracking company Cuadrilla began exploratory drilling for shale oil there four weeks ago.

Fracking poses serious environmental risks, including air and soil pollution, and threatens already overstretched water resources. It makes a mockery of the UK’s efforts to tackle climate change.
And it won’t even help bring energy prices down. It’s not just Greens saying that: everyone from senior executives at Norddeutsche Landesbank, analysts at Bloomberg New Energy Finance and even Cuadrilla’s own PR people say that the development of shale gas resources in the UK is unlikely to lead to a significant reduction in UK natural gas prices.

Although shale oil and gas exploration is at an early stage in the UK, a licence has already been granted in Croydon – so industrial sites could pop up in our borough, bringing a huge increase in heavy goods traffic as drilling materials, water, chemicals, waste and the extracted gas or oil are transported to and from the sites..
These licences are to extract the gas or oil, they don’t specify the method to be used.  In order to frack, the companies would need further specific permits. The Government is currently trying to make the permissions process easier for the companies to get permissions and harder for residents to oppose.

Commenting on his visit, Mr Khan said, “When the first modern incinerators were built in other parts of country, we would never have expected one such facility would receive planning approval on our doorstep. We cannot assume that it will never happen in Croydon given Northdown Energy Limited already has a license to frack here (1).  I am particular concerned about toxic chemicals getting into our drinking water.”

Balcombe will be a test case for the entire South East, so it is important we do all we can to demonstrate our opposition and inform people about the risks of fracking, and the myths being perpetuated by the industry and its apologists in government.

The Greens are the only political party completely against any shale gas exploitation. We need to heed the warnings of other European countries, such as France, who have banned fracking entirely.

Earlier in the day, Green Party MP, Caroline Lucas, was arrested during a peaceful protest.
Commenting on the arrest, Shasha continued, “Croydon Greens back her brave stance against fracking. For once an MP has been arrested for the right reasons.”

Instead of continuing to chase ever more extreme forms of fossil fuel energy, we should be investing in energy conservation and renewable energy, creating an affordable, job-rich, energy-secure future.

Ends

Notes (1)

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Tags croydon, greenparty

Fracking in Croydon

I have been forwarded the following email which initially had been sent to councillors by Paul Spooner, a director at Croydon Council.

Please find below our response to any enquiries you may receive regarding this subject.
A recent article (http://www.thisiscroydontoday.co.uk/Firm-gets-licence-explore-Croydon-fracking-sites/story-19604959-detail/story.html#axzz2b4YLm7Jy) has highlighted interest in Croydon.
It states that “Northdown Energy Limited has been given permission to explore Croydon for natural gas and oil. These licences, under current regulations, allow the licence-holder to investigate opportunities for shale gas extraction, or fracking, across a 400 sq km area, including Croydon.”
Croydon is 87 sq km, so this is for a much larger area.
According to Company’s House, Northdown Energy Limited is an Active business incorporated in England & Wales on 9th September 2011. Their business activity is recorded as Extraction Of Crude Petroleum. Northdown Energy Limited is run by 2 current members. 1 shareholder owns the total shares within the company. It is also part of a group. The latest Annual Accounts submitted to Companies House for the year up to 28/02/2013 reported 'cash at bank' of £456,535, 'liabilities' worth £17,345, 'net worth' of £451,827 and 'assets' worth £469,172.
Before a company can see whether oil or gas reserves are available, they must obtain a Petroleum Exploration and Development Licence (PEDL) from the  Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC). This licence gives them the power to ‘search and bore for and get’ the Crown’s resources, such as oil and gas.
The company must then come to the Minerals Planning Authority (ie us) for planning permission for exploration.
Before starting works the operator must also gain a ‘well consent’ for exploration from the DECC. At this stage, if the intention is to ‘frack’, the DECC would impose the new controls introduced in December 2012. These controls require a geological assessment identifying faults, a ‘Frack Plan’, and monitoring of seismic activity before, during and  after fracking. The DECC also consult the Environment Agency and the Health and Safety Executive.
The Environment Agency may also require an Environmental Permit at the exploration phase, and are likely to require an abstraction licence if more than 20,000 litres per day is to be abstracted.
If they then wish to go into production to actually extract gas, the company must gain a new planning permission from the Minerals Planning Authority (London Borough of Croydon), a Field Development Consent from the DECC, and an Environmental Permit from the Environment Agency and so far we have had no contact with any of the parties mentioned.
We cannot undertake to keep individuals informed of such matters. We will publicise any planning submissions in the normal way.
Several members have received similar emails sent from a wide number of different people – clearly co-ordinated as the emails are from a range of about 3 or 4 variables.
ThanksPaul Spooner

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Tags croydon, greenparty