IF YOU live anywhere near the border of the official Cotswolds Area of Natural Beauty (AONB) you are now under threat from fracking. This means places like Cirencester, Fairford, Lechlade, Malmesbury, Moreton-in-the-Marsh, South Cerney, Quenington and the Ampneys, to name but a few.

The government’s latest ruling by law to allow fracking beneath the National Parks, ANOBs and other protected landscapes means that the damaging rigs and their infrastructure will now be massed in concentration on the borders of these areas.

This government is determined to frack. Unlike the US, the UK government owns most of the mineral rights under our land. This government in quick defiance of the international climate change agreement in Paris only last week, has declared the majority of its energy supply will be fossil fuel based, as gas.

To be viable, (fracking uses large amounts of energy and resources in the first place), the so-called natural shale gas price has to be kept unnaturally high to consumers.

Renewable energy is free at source. Its cost is down to capture and distribution. Human history has shown how we always bring these costs down as we develop technology. Renewable energy has the potential to become ever cheaper to consumers, domestic and industrial. By its very nature, gas from fracking has to be kept high in price to make it worthwhile and make a very few rich people even richer.

This government has laid down the battle lines. It is up to us to protect our future and that of our generations to come here in the Cotswolds. We at Frack Free Cotswolds will be setting up a series of informative talks and encourage all concerned to attend.

JONATHAN WHITTAKER

Chairman, Frack Free Cotswolds