MP Rosie Cooper joined representatives from local and regional fracking groups at a public information meeting in Haskayne Village on Friday.
The event - hosted by The Moss Alliance, which includes Halsall Against Fracking and Frack Free Formby - was a public meeting about Aurora Energy Resources’ fracking plans for Altcar Moss.
MP Rosie was invited to along to speak in support of the anti-fracking campaigners and encourage residents to make their voices heard.
Also in attendance were Friends of the Earth Director Alasdair Roxburgh who hails from West Lancashire, Chair of Roseacre Awareness Group Barbara Richardson, the group that successfully campaigned against fracking plans at Roseacre in Fylde, Downholland Parish Council Chair Mike Wainwright and many West Lancashire Borough Councillors.
The MP praised the efforts of Maureen Mills and all those campaigning against the current application, saying: "Who is going to look after your interests if it’s not you? It is really important that you are here. Keep doing what you are doing.
“The parish council has objected. I will object. We need to keep those objections going in.
“I’ve been up to the site in Altcar when I brought the Labour frontbencher Barry Gardiner, a Shadow Minister for Energy and Climate Change, to join us and publicly declare the Labour position on fracking, that we will ban it as soon as we get into government, and will continue to campaign against it whilst in opposition.”
She told QLocal after the meeting: “The recent seismic activity at the Preston new Road site is a perfect example of why I oppose Aurora’s application to frack at a site in Altcar in West Lancashire, and I will continue to campaign and fight against fracking.
“It is a disgrace that the size of this seismic activity is being downplayed, despite the fact that we have seen the biggest tremor yet at PNR and shows that levels are rapidly rising, the regulations are clear that work should stop when tremors reach?0.5.?
“Just pausing, then restarting work to reach ever higher levels of seismic activity is simply not acceptable and shouldn’t be tolerated.?
“The Government needs to be clear, not only about stopping fracking when 0.5 tremors are caused but at what point they will stop this hydraulic fracturing taking place and in the meantime guarantee not to raise the 0.5 level triggering a ‘pause’.”