Notice of a meeting to oppose fracking of rock in Maltby from Mr David Burley.
Saturday 31st August, 10.00 am until 12.00 noon. Wesley Centre, Blyth Road, Maltby.
‘Meeting to oppose Fracking in Maltby’. For anyone who lives or works in Maltby and surrounding areas.
Purpose: to organise a group to oppose the proposed hydraulic fracking (fracking) of rock underneath Maltby and surrounding areas until regulations are in place and guarantees are given to ensure that there will be no negative effects on our environment, businesses or lives. I hope that makes sense.
Please, this is NOT a meeting about whether fracking is preferable to other sources of energy.
We will need people to:-
– be a treasurer,
– liaise with Maltby Town Council,
– liaise with local councils (Rotherham, Doncaster, maybe Barnsley, Sheffield, Nottinghamshire, North Lincolnshire and others),
– liaise with surrounding Parish Councils,
– set up and maintain a website,
– write press releases for media (newspapers, radio, TV),
– raise funds,
– research related information,
– liaise with local residents associations,
– liaise with religious groups,
– organise events to raise awareness (and maybe fund raise) in and around Maltby,
– liaise with local universities (geology, environment departments) to gain expert opinion,
– liaise with other groups around the UK,
– do everything else I have not though of.
The following have been written to
I have written to the following:-
1. Kevin Barron, MP for Rother Valley, who is currently:-
Co-chair of the Associate Parliamentary Health Group,
Chair of Yorkshire Group of MP’s,
Chair of the All-Party for Bulgaria (useful as I hear Bulgaria has banned fracking).
.. and has been:-
Shadow Minister for Environment,
Shadow Minister for Public Health,
Chair of Parliamentary Labour Party Health Committee,
Chair of the Health Select Committee.
(I hope I got that list right).
2. Linda McAvan, Wath-upon-Dearne based MEP for Yorkshire and Humber, who sits on the European Parliament’s Environment Committee.
3. Caroline Flint, MP for Don Valley (that’s north and east of Maltby) is Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change.
http://frack-off.org.uk/locations/ a block covering Maltby, Braithwell and Conisbrough has been licensed
Extracts from the Rotherham Advertiser:
“Controversial “fracking“ could be carried out in Rotherham to release reserves of shale gas, the Advertiser can reveal.
Government and council sources confirmed this week that licences have been granted for the procedure of hydraulic fracking, referred to as fracking, in two areas – one north of Maltby and one to the south of the former pit town.
Parish Council in Rotherham have been sent guidance by borough council development chief Karl Battersby to pass on to residents raising concerns”
[Source: Rotherham Advertiser, page 2, 9th August 2012]
maltbyblogger 
`Do the powers that be`, not know that Maltby and its surrounding area is on top of one of the deepest drilled pits in the uk, and. For many years subsidence was a problem in Maltby, Large cracks in roads and side of houses, some houses have even been demolised in the areas of Highfield park and Park view and the course was all put down to the mining of Maltby pit which I was told many years ago extened for 4 miles and a bit more underground. So what the hell will fracking do to the area, yep there is a lot of gas under the ground in Maltby ask the old miners and they will tell you of the problems it caused. any one thinking of fracking in the Maltby and Surrounding areas should have thier head fracked to let some `common senslet in it`
Annmarie Fitzgibbons an old resident of Highfield Park, Maltby
Thanks for that Annmarie. No doubt you will be at the meeting to give your views to a wider audience.