The rig standing in a field in Little Plumpton, Lancashire, is about to start drilling. Today, Cuadrilla finally got the all-clear to start fracking, after the High Court rejected a request for a last-minuteย injunction.
Activists stationed outside the site have been disrupting Cuadrillaโs plans for over a year. Theyโve used lock-ons and legal challenges to obstruct the companyโs plans, but it looks as though Cuadrilla has leapt the finalย hurdle.
None of the protesters are about to go home. They see this as a legal hiccup on a longer road toย victory.
โWe will carry on every single day, being a thorn in their side,โ says Tina Rothery, an activist who has been involved in the anti-fracking movement for sevenย years.
She is dressed in a high-vis jacket and has spent the morning marching confidently along the road, livestreaming the action from Little Plumpton as the High Court in London deliberates the siteโsย fate.
โWeโll find other ways to fight them in court,โ she says. โWeโre mothers and fathers. To ask us to stop is to ask us to walk away from our children. Weโd give anything not to be living this life, but we have noย choice.โ
As the High Court prepares to deliver its verdict, journalists and camera crews descend from the BBC and ITV. With the Conservative government pushing for a fracking boom across the country, this is a battle that has gained nationalย attention.
This group of activists know that their struggle is symbolic of a larger fight over the future of Britainโs fossil fuels. But they also want to remind the world that this is an issue with localย repercussions.
At around 12.15pm, a flurry of gunshots goes off in the field behind us. It is hunters, shooting ducks. There are mumbles of disapproval, and everyone starts to shout and whistle to scare off the birds. Thereโs long been conflict between the protesters and this group ofย hunters.
โIโm sure they do it just to wind us up,โ one activist grumbles. โPeople who like country sports support fracking. Donโt they realise itโs going to trash theย countryside?โ
While the strong gusts of Storm Callum may momentarily disrupt plans to drill, Cuadrilla is likely to begin on Monday at theย latest.
โWe are delighted to be starting our hydraulic fracturing operations as planned,โ said Francis Egan, CEO of Cuadrilla, in a statement issued after the injunction was lifted. โWe are now commencing the final operational phase to evaluate the commercial potential for a new source of indigenous natural gas inย Lancashire.โ
When Cuadrilla begins operations, it will be the first time in seven years that fracking has taken place on British soil. The process is expected to take around three months, with the company proceeding slowly to monitor any seismic activity caused by theย drilling.
Regardless of todayโs victory, the opposition to the companyโs plans willย continue.
โItโs not over,โ says Miranda Cox, a councillor for Kirkham town council. โInjunctions, criminalising us, it makes no difference. Itโs wrong on so many levels. I feel more determined than ever to continue to shout aboutย this.โ
Her immediate priorities havenโt changed. She wants to secure the release of the three activists who were recently jailed for blocking a convoy of Cuadrilla lorries. Beyond that, โWe need to draw strength from each other and basically regroup,โ sheย says.
Lawyers for local campaigner Bob Dennett, who brought the injunction, have said they will appeal the judgeโs decision. And, next Saturday, a โNational Climate Crisis Rallyโ is being held down the road at Maple Farm, the camp at which the activists have set up base while theyโve been confrontingย Cuadrilla.
Other activists at the site remain determined, but their weariness and disappointment are starting to show. Theyโre emotionally invested in this battle, and today has been a low point. Itโs gusty, and thereโs little even in the way of snacks to buoy peopleโsย spirits.
โSlightly stale hobnobs?โ offers a woman who will only give her name as Polly. โNot really cutting it, areย they?โ
Debs Whiteside is one of the quieter members of the group, but nonetheless sheโs been visiting the camp most days since July 2017. Today, she seems on the verge ofย tears.
โIโm gutted,โ she says. โIโm scared, and I just want Cuadrilla to know weโre here and weโre going to hold them accountable when something goes wrong. I always knew they would win. Theyโre the ones with the power. Iโm angry,ย disappointed.โ
Itโs been a long struggle, and now fracking will happen anyway. But many have found purpose in registering their opposition to Cuadrilla’s plansย and the long delays that theyโve already caused the company. Thatโs been, and will remain, their gameย plan.
In-text images: Sophie Yeo | Main image: Mat Hope/DeSmog UK
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