Trafford council has opted to reject fracking in the borough and called on neighbouring councils in Greater Manchester and others in the North West to do the same. The move follows the recent announcement by Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Jacob Rees-Mogg that the 2019 suspension of fracking in the UK would be lifted.
The motion put forward by Coun Will Jones at a full council meeting said: "The wrong decisions on energy have already been made meaning that more than 60 per cent of our energy requirements now rely on gas.
"The UK should be taking the opportunity to reduce reliance on gas as we did with coal. Gas should stay in the ground to support our net zero commitments."
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It went on: "Despite the fracking fantasies of the Government and their potential financial incentives to local communities to accept fracking, we call on this council, its councillors and the borough's MPs to reaffirm their rejection of fracking in Trafford."
The controlling Labour group accepted a 'watered down' amendment from the opposition Conservative group which underlined their opposition also to fracking in Trafford. Council leader Coun Andrew Western said that the fact that it was watered down, showed 'how divided the Conservatives are on the issue'.
He said: "If they push through an amendment that is going directly against their own Government's policy, the brazen politician that I am, I think that is something we would want to make as public as possible."
Conservative Coun John Holden said: "We have abandoned the huge energy resource of coal for all sorts of reasons, but I'm still doubtful about whether we should go all out for fracking. I sometimes think we're worrying a bit because Cuadrilla [the fracking company] are a commercial organisation. They are not going to develop fields of fracked natural gas if they can't make money out of it."
Liberal Democrat Jane Brophy said: "The consequences of fracking would be harmful to our borough, our North West region and to our planet. The Government's reigniting the debate about fracking is a distraction, because it will not solve the current energy crisis."
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