CHANCELLOR George Osborne says Britain should be in favour of new forms of energy like fracking which could cut bills and carbon emissions and create jobs.

May I point out to your readers, that there is no evidence anywhere, to suggest it will reduce anyone’s energy bills, and what evidence there is from the USA, which has the most fracking wells of any country in the world, would point to fracking being responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions than coal fired power stations are, this being due to leaks of methane gas inherent in the fracking process, which is over 25 times more potent a GHG than CO2.

That’s also without the attendant problems of water and air pollution, earthquakes, tremors and subsidence.

As far as new jobs are concerned, fracking will create considerably less jobs per £1 invested. As a result what the chancellor has to say is pretty hollow.

Stephen Hall Greater Manchester Association of Trades Union Councils n Send letters to yourviews@nqnw.co.uk Reasons not to drill for shale THERE are plenty of reasons fracking should not go ahead.

1) The value of property which has been fracked under stands a real chance of being devalued. If land under your property has been fracked you may have a problem getting property insurance or face increased premiums.  You do not have a say in whether your home/business/farm will be fracked under even if you own land. You will not see a reduction in the cost of your gas bill.

2) Fracking involves pumping huge quantities of water and unnatural chemical compounds at high pressure down drilled vertical and horizontal shafts. The chemicals can leak into aquafers, agricultural land and our water supplies. The water with these chemicals in them will not stay in one place but as with any body of water can leak and poison our environments 3) There are the problems of seismic disturbance resulting in earth tremors and the damage that this can do to your property. Test only drilling was done in the Fylde area resulting in a small earthquake. Imagine if any of us were to suffer the effects of flooding and the risk of fracking chemicals bubbling to the surface.

4) The increase in heavy trucks to and from fracking sites will add to the congestion and noise of our roads. If you read through the Defra paper you will also see the air quality of the areas surrounding these sites will be affected. The quality of our lives is at risk. Fracking involves the use of water on an epic scale, placing an extra burden on the supply and disposal.  5) Fracking is not just one well but as the drilled shaft and fracked shale in area depletes another well has to be drilled and fracked, and another. The fracking company moves on having reaped the short term rewards. Any landowner still thinking about allowing test drilling on their land needs to watch “Voices from the Gasfields” on YouTube.

Kathy Wedge Cheshire