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No. 22 - A HUGE THANK YOU -  OVER 10,000 SIGNATURES

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We have now more than 10,000 signatures on our petition to ban ‘small scale fracking’. This is a massive achievement- thank you all so much for all your efforts. Now we are expecting a response from the government. This certainly raises the profile of our campaign.

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WHAT EXACTLY IS ‘THE LOOPHOLE’ OR ‘SMALL SCALE FRACKING’

The loophole dubbed 'small scale fracking' is hydraulic fracturing (fracking) using a volume of fluid less than that currently banned (1,000m3 of fluid per stage or a total of 10,000m3 in total). However, because of this loophole, Europa would be allowed to frack in Burniston and Scalby with higher volumes of liquid than caused earthquakes in Lancashire.

Drill or Drop has explained this very eloquently in this article of 15th Oct 2025

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ALISON TO HOLD ANOTHER MEETING IN BURNISTON

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Alison Hume is holding a meeting in Burniston to give residents a chance to ask her and North Yorkshire Councillors about fracking. It is a ticket only event and, unfortunately, all spaces have now been taken. We will make sure you are all updated after the meeting. Here is Alison's Facebook post reminding residents about the meeting.  

 

Alison Hume Facebook page

 

BURNISTON ‘ON THE FRONT LINE’ – WILL DEMOCRACY WIN?

Since the prospect of fracking by our North Yorkshire Coast and villages has raised it’s head, every local parish and town council has unanimously voted to strongly object to the planning application. Over 1500 objections have been submitted to the planning committee with fewer than 1% in favour.

We are also very fortunate to have MP Alison Hume, who is representing the people’s views and is working very hard to get all onshore hydraulic fracturing (fracking) banned. Note that offshore fracking in all it’s forms are already banned!

We are also very indebted to Ruth Hayhurst of Drill or Drop, who has spent more than 10 years independently reporting on UK fracking, onshore oil and gas and the reactions to it. Ruth totally depends on donations for her work and we are grateful for all she does.

Ruth reported on an interview she had with Alison Hume on October 17th 2025:

 

 

​LET'S HELP FOXHOLES FIGHT EGDON

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As mentioned, there is a raft of Gas and Oil companies queuing up to put in their applications should Europa get the go ahead to extract gas at Burniston and Scalby. Egdon - sister company to Europa - has already applied to extract gas from the stunningly beautiful Yorkshire Wolds area just 16 miles south of Burniston. Here is a plea from the campaigners fighting this proposal.

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PLEASE OBJECT TO THE PLANNING APPLICATION BY 31ST OCTOBER 2025!

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The things which the Planning Committee will consider are as follows. (You can chose to make reference to any number of these, you can list these or explain your case.

  • ·         Impact on traffic and highway safety

  • ·         Impact of noise, light, air quality or smell pollution

  • ·         Impact on water quality

  • ·         Impact on local services and infrastructure

  • ·         Heritage, ecology & conservation impact

  • ·         Flood risk

  • ·         Compliance with planning policy

 

How to submit an objection.

  • ·         Online: click here.  Select a response - Comment, Support or Objection. Enter your response directly (max 1000 characters) and/or upload a document with your response.

  • ·         E-mail: planning.control@northyorks.gov.uk. Type in a response and/or add an attachment.

  • ·         Post: Planning Services, County Hall, Northallerton, DL7 8AD

 

In all instances, ask to ensure your response is posted on the Online Planning register for application: NY/2025/0113/FUL, and supply your name and address. (you can request this is redacted).

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This is Foxholes and Butterwick Parish Council Response http://bit.ly/4qm2uch

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You can read more about the Foxholes campaign on Fossil free Foxholes Facebook page

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MINISTER SENT OUT MISLEADING LETTERS - AND RESIDENTS WANT AN APOLOGY.

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Michael Shanks MP Minister of State (Minister for Energy) has sent out what has been described as a misleading letter to Alison Hume MP, which states ‘lower volume fracking was commonplace in the water industry’. This is totally inaccurate.  His department has failed to respond to an FOI request for the source of this information to be made clear. Chris Garforth (our chairman), accused the minister of using wording to make the proposed fracking at Burniston “seem benign”.

In a standard letter of reply to people who wrote to him regarding the planning application in Burniston, he stated ‘Proppant squeeze is not fracking’. This is also inaccurate. Proppant squeeze was a term first used by the oil and gas industry about 5 years ago to describe hydraulic fracturing – which is also known as fracking.

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The terms Hydraulic Fracturing, Proppant Squeeze and Fracking are one and the same thing. Ed Milliband said at the Labour Party conference that the government will ban ALL ONSHORE FRACKING – we must make sure his definition of FRACKING is not confused by the Oil and Gas Companies - but includes all hydraulic fracking no matter what volume, pressure or rock type. If it fractures rocks by fluids, it is hydraulic fracturing - fracking.

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Drill or Drop has covered these issues in these articles

1) Minister challenged over misleading fracking claims

2) Minister should apologise over fracking claims - residents

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​EUROPA’S PLANNING APPLICATION TO TEST DRILL IN BURNISTON/SCALBY

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NYC are still accepting public comments on the planning application. The next planning committee meeting is on Tuesday 9th December and the Europa application may well be discussed then. It has been generally reported that the decision will be made by the end of the year.

You can still send your responses to NYC - the email address is planning.control@northyorks.gov.uk , Quote application reference NY/2025/0030/ENV. You must include your name and address.  Click here to see the leaflet which has been delivered to the villages. It explains in more detail how to object and why. Also check out the response from Frack Free Coastal Communities to NYC. Here is the response from Burniston Parish Council

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Even if you have already responded to the planning application, you can send more comments. There are many discrepancies between the EOG application to North Yorkshire Council for planning permission and the applications to the EA for permits. As well as letting the EA know about these additions and inconsistencies, it is also very important to let NYC know that EOG have given the EA a different story to the one they told them (including the mining waste facility under Barmoor Lane. Please let the EA and NYC know about these 'discrepancies'  You can still object to and view other comments on the planning application here (go to documents and click on 'Comment on this application').

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DONATIONS​

We would like to thank all our very generous donators without whom we would not be able to carry out the work we do.

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