Scarborough and Whitby MP "Frustrated" with Own Government Over Fracking Loophole

Scarborough and Whitby MP Alison Hume has expressed frustration with her own government over current legislation that allows small-scale fracking operations to bypass a nationwide ban.

Small-scale fracking operations will continue to threaten coastal villages unless the government closes a legal loophole, a local MP has warned.

Scarborough and Whitby MP Alison Hume says she is frustrated with her own government over current rules that allow companies to bypass a nationwide moratorium on hydraulic fracturing.

Under existing UK legislation, fracking is defined by fluid volume thresholds. Operations using less than 1,000 cubic metres of fluid per stage, or 10,000 cubic metres in total, avoid the ban and are often labelled by the industry as a "proppant squeeze".

The issue recently sparked overwhelming public opposition in Burniston, near Scarborough, where Europa Oil and Gas proposed a proppant squeeze operation. North Yorkshire Council’s Area Planning Committee ultimately rejected the application, but the legal pathway remains open for similar projects.

Further down the coast, Rathlin Energy is preparing to begin small-scale fracking at its West Newton site in East Yorkshire, which is one of 66 current licences across the country.

Ms Hume used a recent House of Commons debate to urge ministers to enact a comprehensive ban based on the process and intent of the extraction, rather than technical volume limits. She warned that the environmental consequences of continued gas extraction must remain at the forefront of political minds following the hottest summer on record.

The MP also highlighted expert evidence from Professor Stuart Haszeldine at the University of Edinburgh. His report found that earthquakes triggered by low-volume fracking are equally large and unpredictable as those caused by high-volume operations.

Despite the government signalling that it does not share her interpretation of the rules, the Labour MP is demanding tighter regulations in the forthcoming Energy Independence Bill.

Speaking about her ongoing campaign, Alison Hume said:

"I'm very frustrated with with the government, and I'm sure they're absolutely sick to death of hearing me standing up in the house talking about Burniston, but I'm going to carry on doing it.

There was a full debate on fracking, and I'm pushing the government to close the loophole that allows companies like Europa Oil and Gas to to apply to carry out to carry out small scale fracking in spite of the existing moratorium."

The Scarborough and Whitby representative stressed that the intent and technique of a proppant squeeze are identical to fracking, as both involve injecting substances into rock under pressure to extract gas.

She warned that unless the government acts boldly, communities across North Yorkshire and East Yorkshire will face the realities of drill pads, continuous heavy goods vehicle movements, gas flares, and constant noise on their doorsteps.

Urging residents to maintain the pressure on decision-makers, Alison Hume said:

"I know that the environmental agency looking into it at the moment and I'd encourage everybody to keep writing in and write to the minister for energy.

There will be a new energy independence bill and I'm determined that it won't leave the loophole open and I'll be working with the government, but if I can't persuade them to change it, I'll be tabling an amendment, so that campaign continues."

Ministers have previously reaffirmed their commitment to banning fracking through the upcoming legislation, maintaining that proppant squeezing does not carry the same environmental and safety concerns as large-scale shale gas extraction.

However, campaigners and local residents argue that the distinction ignores the realities on the ground, leaving villages exposed to techniques they believed were already prohibited.

Summarising her stance on behalf of her constituents, Alison Hume said:

"I've once again called for what I regard as a loophole in the moratorium on fracking to be closed, so proposals to 'proppant squeeze' at sites like Burniston can not be submitted. I'm doing this on behalf of my constituents, who have made their feelings on the matter crystal clear."