Agenda item

Notice of Motion given by Councillor Robert Murphy

Meeting of Council, Wednesday 4 September 2013 2.00 pm (Item 18.)

That this Council:

(a) notes the presence of shale gas and coal bed methane in the Sheffield region;

(b) notes the recent mass protests against shale gas drilling in both Lancashire and West Sussex;

(c) notes the controversy about both the supposed benefits of extracting on-shore gas resources and the local environmental impacts;

(d) notes the recent evidence that 60-80% of world fossil fuel reserves need to be left in the ground if average global temperature rise is to remain within 2 degrees;

(e) believes that there is also compelling evidence that UK shale gas and coal bed methane would form part of that 60-80%;

(f) notes that the large amounts of water needed for hydraulic fracturing to extract shale gas (known as fracking) would reduce water supplies in this region, which are also threatened by the impact of climate change;

(g) notes the well-documented risk of groundwater contamination as a result of fracking, which would exacerbate the pressure on water supplies and put residents at risk;

(h) notes the unavoidable increase in noise, visual intrusion and air pollution from heavy traffic in communities close to fracking sites;

(i) therefore welcomes the work of the Cabinet Member for Environment, Recycling and Streetscene in developing a Council policy on shale gas and coal bed methane extraction;

(j) will seek to attract to the City appropriate funding for projects which increase energy efficiency, sustainability and self-sufficiency, stabilise energy bills, and create jobs in the green economy; and

(k) directs officers to send a copy of this motion to the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change and the Minister of State for the Department for Energy and Climate Change and to all Sheffield MPs.

Minutes:

	Shale Gas and Coal Bed Methane Extraction

	It was moved by Councillor Robert Murphy, seconded by Councillor Jillian Creasy, that this Council:-

	(a) notes the presence of shale gas and coal bed methane in the Sheffield region; (b) notes the recent mass protests against shale gas drilling in both Lancashire and West Sussex; (c) notes the controversy about both the supposed benefits of extracting on-shore gas resources and the local environmental impacts; (d) notes the recent evidence that 60-80% of world fossil fuel reserves need to be left in the ground if average global temperature rise is to remain within 2 degrees; (e) believes that there is also compelling evidence that UK shale gas and coal bed methane would form part of that 60-80%; (f) notes that the large amounts of water needed for hydraulic fracturing to extract shale gas (known as fracking) would reduce water supplies in this region, which are also threatened by the impact of climate change; (g) notes the well-documented risk of groundwater contamination as a result of fracking, which would exacerbate the pressure on water supplies and put residents at risk; (h) notes the unavoidable increase in noise, visual intrusion and air pollution from heavy traffic in communities close to fracking sites; (i) therefore welcomes the work of the Cabinet Member for Environment, Recycling and Streetscene in developing a Council policy on shale gas and coal bed methane extraction; (j) will seek to attract to the City appropriate funding for projects which increase energy efficiency, sustainability and self-sufficiency, stabilise energy bills, and create jobs in the green economy; and (k) directs officers to send a copy of this motion to the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change and the Minister of State for the Department for Energy and Climate Change and to all Sheffield MPs.

	Whereupon, it was moved by Councillor Joe Otten, seconded by Councillor Katie Condliffe, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by:-

	1. the deletion in paragraph (i) of the word “therefore” and its substitution by the word “cautiously”;

	2. the deletion in paragraph (j) of the words “will seek” and their substitution by the word “seeks”;

	3. the re-lettering of paragraphs (i) and (j) as new paragraphs (j) and (k) and the addition of a new paragraph (i) as follows:-

	(i) supports the robust application of environmental, safety and local planning regulations to protect the rights of local communities;

	4. the re-lettering of original paragraph (k) as a new paragraph (m) and the addition of a new paragraph (l) as follows:-

	(l) therefore, regrets that so little progress has been made by the current Administration on the Decentralised Energy City Strategy agreed by the Cabinet in 2011;

	On being put to the vote, the amendment was negatived.

	It was moved by Councillor Jack Scott, seconded by Councillor Mohammed Maroof, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by the re-lettering of paragraph (k) as a new paragraph (l) and the addition of a new paragraph (k) as follows:-

	(k) believes it is completely irresponsible for the Government to be offering massive tax-cuts for fracking and this money should instead have been used to kick-start a major national retrofit scheme, which would reduce carbon emissions and bills and create thousands of green-collar jobs;

	On being put to he vote, the amendment was carried.

	The original Motion, as amended, was then put as a Substantive Motion in the following form and carried:-

RESOLVED: That this Council:-