Reported in this newsletter are some very important developments. There are several ways you can help: Send an objection to the EA re the permit in Burniston, Support actions by other groups, Sign the Friends of the Earth petition to end fracking, Read Alison Hume's letter and her encouragement to write to Michael Shanks, and Sign the petition to the government to show 'The People's Briefing' video to the general public. Please read below how you can help.
No 45 ENVIRONMENT AGENCY EXTENDS CONSULTATION
The Environment Agency are 'Minded to' permit Europa Oil an Gas to drill and frack in Burniston and opened a consultation with a deadline of 23rd September. For no apparent reason and without any publicity or communication, the date has been extended to 21/10/26. It is important to respond to the EA consultation as there are several reasons the decision is regarded as unsafe.
Ruth Hayhurst wrote this article in Drill or Drop (now updated). She describes the errors and missing information that have caused people to lack confidence in the Environment Agency.
If you haven't had time so far, you have another chance to object. Submit your response and view other responses here. So far there are 121 objections including Burniston Parish Council, Scalby and Newby Town Council, Friends of the Earth and many others. The information below may help you to object. Please use your own words.
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The 'Executive Summary' of the Frack Free Coastal Communities' objection..
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The Friends of the Earth response in their Press Release
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Campaigner Dennis May, has made an official complaint to the EA regarding the consultation on the permit decision document and said the EA had provided “inaccurate, inconsistent and contradictory information”. See below for more details.
The BBC has reported on the consultation here.
CURRENT ACTIONS AGAINST GOVERNMENT AND ENVIRONMENT AGENCY
Several actions are taking place at the moment as people are becoming increasingly concerned about the behaviour of the Government and the Environment Agency. Here are 3 of them
Dennis May has made a formal complaint to the Environment Agency (as reported by Ruth Hayhurst on Drill or Drop). He says the permit decision document for Burniston has "inaccurate, inconsistent and contradictory information” and he calls for the withdrawal of the current consultation on a draft decision by the EA to grant an environmental permit for the site.
Pete Lomas is seeking an injunction to stop work starting at West Newton by Rathlin Energy. Pete had previously started a legal challenge against the EA's decision to allow Rathlin Energy to frack at West Newton and is seeking the injunction to allow the legal challenge to be decided before work commences. See this article on Drill or Drop for details. Fundraiser here.
Campaigners from the Weald Action Group (WAG) said it would use a combination of legal action, investigations, technical research and field data to expose regulatory gaps and systematic failures that allow unchecked methane emissions. Read about it here in Drill or Drop. Fundraiser here.
PETITION TO BAN ALL FRACKING
On Friday 10th October 2025, ITV reported that Ed Miliband announced Labour would BAN ALL FRACKING at the Labour Conference. However, the government have now refused to ban what they call low volume fracking. Read the story in Drill or Drop - government to allow low volume fracking. This type of fracking is currently being proposed in Burniston in North Yorkshire, West Newton-A in East Yorkshire and Wressle in North Lincolnshire. In fact FRACKING of any kind is still not banned by law. Sign this petition to ask the government to ban all fracking.
UPDATE FROM ALISON HUME (MP) WITH PLEA TO WRITE TO MICHAEL SHANKS.
PLEASE SEE LETTER FROM ALISON BELOW. In particular please write to Michal Shanks (as encouraged by Alison) to let him know the strength of feeling against all fracking including low volume fracking,
I hope you are well. I am writing to you with an update on my campaign to ban small-scale fracking.
On Tuesday 15th September, I spoke in a general debate about the potential merits of a total ban on fracking. You can read my contribution, here.
In the debate, I raised Europa Oil and Gas’s application to frack for gas in Burniston, and called for the Minister to act to ban all forms of fracking, including smaller-scale operations such as proppant squeeze. I made clear that the loophole in the legislation which allows oil and gas companies to frack under a different name must be closed.
Small-scale fracking carries the same risks as larger operations, including earthquakes, groundwater contamination, methane leaks, air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Local people understand these risks, which is why in our community Europa’s plans are widely opposed.
I welcomed the Government’s commitment to legislate for a permanent ban on fracking, which will be introduced via the forthcoming Energy Independence Bill. However, this ban should cover all forms of fracking, not just those using higher fluid volumes.
I will continue to lobby the Government to introduce a total ban on fracking. If I am unsuccessful, I will lay an amendment to the Energy Independence Bill to this effect.
It is important that the Government hears the depth of local feeling. Please can I encourage you to write to Minister for Energy, Michael Shanks (information on how to contact the Department is available, here).
I will continue to keep you updated with my work on this important issue.
Yours sincerely,
Alison
PEOPLE'S EMERGENCY BRIEFING
There is a petition to have this briefing shown nationwide.. There are already more than 100K signatures and so there will be a debate about this in parliament - but please sign anyway to make your government know the strength of feeling in the nation.
The next local showing is at the Old Parcels Office on 7th November at 4pm
PLEASE HELP OUR FELLOW CAMPAIGNERS
WEALD ACTION GROUP: We all owe this group so much. They are behind the 'Finch Ruling' They are fighting a new battle against methane and need your help, See here for details.
WEST NEWTON: help by donating here go fund me page to help West Newton. See newsletter 40 for full details.
FOXHOLES: Facebook Page here. Please object by writing to planning.control@northyorks.gov.uk reference REF:NY/2025/0113/FUL. You could also write to the MP Kevin Hollinrake and the NYC ward councillor Email: cllr.janet.sanderson@northyorks.gov.uk regarding lack of support and to show your feelings. See newsletter 40 for full details.
EBBERSTON: See details here in a Drill or Drop article. The oil and gas company held an open meeting Thursday 9 July 2026.
UPCOMING EVENTS FOR YOUR DIARY
Just to say that all our events have been very well supported and it is a delight to see people enjoying themselves while we raise money for our coffers. Please keep coming and thank you to all the helpers and the guests.
21st Nov - Christmas Quiz at Burniston and Cloughton Village Hall.
WHO ARE FFCC - Frack Free Costal Communities?
We are a local group, who have been campaigning regionally and nationally, from the villages on the North Yorkshire Heritage coast including Burniston, Cloughton, Scalby, Staintondale and Ravenscar. We want to protect our beautiful heritage coastline from industrialisation and the irreversible damage to our local environment, and the wider climate that Europa’s ‘Proppant squeeze’ (fracking) would cause. We believe the use of fossil fuels are destroying our planet and fracking should be banned in all forms.
We need to spread the message further. We would love to hear from any environmental organisations with national reach who might be able to help us spread the message nationwide.
WHAT IS FRACKING - AND WHY IS ALL ON SHORE FRACKING NOT BANNED NOW?
Fracking is short for Hydraulic Fracturing. Hydraulic Fracturing is a process that uses fluids to fracture rocks. Lower volume fracturing is not prevented by the moratorium on associated hydraulic fracturing, which was introduced in 2019. The moratorium affects only operations using more than 1,000m3 of fluid per fracturing stage or 10,000m3 in total. This volume is more than was used in Lancashire causing earthquakes which damaged properties and resulted in the moratorium! Opponents have described this as a loophole in the law and called for a wider ban to include lower volume fracking. This planning application by Europa, if approved, will set a precedent for the many applications waiting in the wings. The government has replied to a parliamentary petition to ban 'small scale fracking' saying “the government recognises concerns from local communities regarding low volume fracturing and the fact that it is currently treated differently, and is therefore currently reviewing the position with regard to low volume hydraulic fracturing.” In the 2025 Labour Conference, Ed Milliband said (as reported by Drill or Drop) “I say let’s ban fracking and send this bunch of frackers packing too”.
Thank you for your support
Clare from Frack Free Coastal Communities
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