
We Fly High The True Fracking Rig Height!
Image taken from Weeton village, by Richard Ansell
In a demonstrative bid to reveal the true height of Cuadrilla’s fracking rig plans at Little Plumpton, we commissioned a blimp balloon to float 53 metres high on the site where exploratory works proposals are currently within a Public Inquiry planning appeal.
Preston New Road Action group wanted to display an accurate height that Cuadrilla’s fracking rig would reach so that the Planning Inspector could visibly get an idea of where the top of the rig could be seen from within the radius of the site.
Our chair, Pat Davies, said: “It is critical to us that the Inspector and the nearby community appreciate the height and dominance that a drill rig of 53 metres would present. In order to demonstrate the level of intrusion, a blimp seemed to be one method of accurately indicating just how high a structure of 53 metres represents, particularly as it will be on what is currently an agricultural field.”
The Planning Inquiry into Cuadrilla’s appeals against the refusal for exploratory shale licenses has entered its third week, with the Planning Inspector, Wendy McKay, making her site visits on Wednesday 24th February 2015.