Mansfield and Edwinstowe campaigners meet with fracking ‘back on the agenda’

Sherwood Forest Friends of the Earth is an environmental and conservation group, with members from Mansfield, Warsop, Edwinstowe and Nottingham.

It is a branch of the UK organisation, Friends of the Earth – part of an international community dedicated to protecting the natural world and the wellbeing of everyone in it.

Friends of the Earth lead campaigns, provide resources and information, along with proposing solutions to environmental problems.

The Sherwood Forest branch holds monthly meetings at Warsop Parish Centre, in Church Warsop.

Chairman of the Sherwood Forest branch, Jerry Hague from Edwinstowe, said the meeting saw a great turnout, with more people than anticipated.

He said fracking was back on the agenda due to the government’s recent announcement, as Energy Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg, in one of his first actions after being appointed to the role by new Prime Minister Liz Truss last month, announced the lifting of the 2019 ban.

Roy Butler, Warsop councillor, said: “There are many concerns to consider locally with the threat of fracking back in the community.

“Mining tunnels for example – spanning underground and at times, overlap across the county. These tunnels have been left since the closure of the pits, and we have no real idea what is going on below the surface.

“We need to be speaking with insurance providers, to see how fracking would impact insurance costs. Health and safety is a concern.”

Pauline Meechan, branch treasurer from Edwinstowe, said it was important for activists and members to continue writing to MPs and elected officials, encouraging them to oppose fracking and support resident-led campaigns.

Dennis May, who travelled from Nottingham, said that many top scientists and experts have said there is no correlation between fracking in the UK and lower energy bills.

Ben Bradley, Mansfield MP, voiced his support for constituents back in 2019 after speaking with Warsop councillors and residents about their opposition to fracking.

Mr Bradley has since said – in an appearance last month, on Politics East Midlands – it is right to look into fracking across Nottinghamshire for energy security and domestic supply. He said there are other options for green energy sourcing such as Step Fusion Energy in North Nottinghamshire.