The risk to Bath and its hot springs from fracking has been widely reported, and it’s now been confirmed in writing to Bath’s MP that the city will not be at risk from the process in the future.
Bath’s MP Ben Howlett has been keen to fully understand the risk to Bath and the water supplying our thermal springs and ensure it is fully protected from any future fracking activity around Bath or the Mendips.
It is widely believed that the waters supplying the hot springs in Bath are sourced from the Mendips, so it was with some relief that Ben has this week received written confirmation from the Minister at the Department of Energy & Climate Change that Bath and the surrounding areas, including the Mendips, are not located in a “shale prospective area”.
This is according to shale resource estimates by the British Geological Survey and hence do not have any shale gas under them.
The response from the Minister went as far as to say that a number of licenses had previously been granted and subsequently rescinded due to the fact that no frackable shale gas could be found.
Ben said of the revelation: “I am obviously delighted to find that Bath and the Mendips do not have frackable shale gas under the surface and is therefore safe from the risk of fracking.
“As the Minister, Andrea Leadsom, said in her response to me I regret that this situation has been unclear both to me and my constituents and am relieved and reassured by her response”
The full response is available on Ben’s website: www.benhowlett.co.uk.
