From the London Evening Standard:
Energy Minister Michael Fallon: The South East must accept fracking
Joe Murphy, Political Editor
The South East must accept shale gas exploration for the sake of Britain’s economic future, Energy Minister Michael Fallon declared today.
He stepped after Surrey-based peer Lord Howell caused outrage by saying “desolate” areas of the North East should be targeted instead.
“It cannot be right to confine it to areas of the industrial North,” he told the Evening Standard.
“Shale exists under towns, villages and countryside. Shale gas is everywhere and could well be in quantity under attractive areas of the country as well as industrial areas.”
The Tory minister was cool about the remarks made by Lord Howell of Guildford, who is George Osborne’s father in law and a former Energy Secretary.
“He has apologised and it’s probably best left there,” he said. Lord Howell has been widely condemned by northern politicians and bishops for suggesting drilling should avoid the South.
But he said the South could become “the second biggest area of shale in Britain” and everyone would benefit from the extraction.
“If we can extract shale gas as cheaply and efficiently as they have done in he United States, everybody benefits,” he said.
Pointing out that a survey of the North West had found twice as much shale gas potential as previously believed, he said the same might be true of the South.
“The same survey is now being done of the southern base, roughly from Dorset through Hampshire, Sussex, Surrey and Kent,” he said.
“We will know in March whether there is much more there than was originally thought.”
He accepted that many communities would be worried and acknowledged there would be a big impact on some areas.
“There’s certainly disturbance involved, especially in the very early years of fracturing, and it’s right the community should be compensated.
“That’s why there is compensation to the community of £100,000 per exploration well and then one per cent of profits, which could amount to several million pounds.”
Mr Fallon said scare stories about shale gas had been exaggerated, while the possible benefits of cheap and plentiful energy could be a shot in the arm for the whole country.
Tallbloke's Talkshop 
Fracking: Protests continue in Sussex village
31 July 2013 Last updated at 09:11 BST
Campaigners are continuing to protest against plans for exploratory drilling in the village of Balcombe in West Sussex, which could lead to the controversial process of fracking to reach oil reserves.
Oil exploration company Cuadrilla wants to drill there but says it will apply for a fracking license if conventional drilling reveals a need for such a technique. So far, more than 20 protestors have been arrested.
John Maguire reports from Balcombe, where he spoke to environmental campaigner Simon Medhurst, and Alison Stevenson from Balcombe parish council.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-23513540
See the Matt cartoon for 1st Aug. here.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/matt/
If ‘Shale gas is everywhere’ we don’t need this map :-;
In my opinion the SE is one of the uglier parts of the British landscape. Of course many people will disagree with that, beauty being in the eye of the beholder and everything.
Having said that, about 2 miles up the road from my parents house where I grew up, there is a working sandstone quarry. For two decades I didn’t even realise it was there. A few trees shield it from sight. I certainly wouldn’t object if it was fracking for shale gas, at least not if I understand the process correctly.
(In the 1970’s they experimented with using nuclear explosions for fracking in the USA, but I won’t pursue that line right now 🙂 )
Aldermarston, power stations, Greenham Common, Newbury bypass, ‘phone masts, now Cuadrilla. Rent-a-mob protesters !..where next?
‘where next?’
A wind farm development site perhaps 😉