Fracking is a classic reason why England needs Regional Devolution (Part Two)

As previously stated, I do declare myself to be softly in favour of fracking.  As we exit 2013 and move into 2014, it appears increasingly likely that the fracking debate will if anything, become more significant.  The Conservative led Coalition Government of David Cameron is making broadly pro-fracking noises, including tax breaks for fracking companies that set up in the UK.  This may all be very well in terms of meeting energy targets; but it may also threaten to divide communities who see their very futures controlled by commercial interests and Central Government policies with little or no consideration for the local environment.  The best regulatory answer is for devolved assemblies to be set up in the English regions to regulate.  The main point is that such regional assemblies will be able to take on board the positives of fracking in terms of job creation and economic growth, but would be less likely to ignore any consistent evidence of environmental harm.

The North West of England contains two of England's biggest Cities in Liverpool and Manchester.  There are also historic cities like Chester and Lancaster, in addition to fine coastal scenery on the Wirral Peninsula, the Sefton Coast (north of Liverpool), and the Fylde Peninsula in Lancashire.  The Lake District National Park is England's most visited National Park.  All these areas mentioned are central to the region's tourist industry.  If it ever were to be established that fracking is causing an environmental harm, that is having a knock on effect on visitor numbers to the North West, a regional administration would be much more passionate than David Cameron and George Osborne (Chancellor of the Exchequer) in looking to correct any adverse effects fracking may have for the region.

The Lake District is England's most visited National Park.

Across the Penines in Yorkshire, the similar act of balancing economic gains against environmental concern may be more tricky.  This is particularly so considering there are possible shale gas resources underneath North Yorkshire's two national parks, the Yorkshire Dales and the North Yorkshire Moors.  I can state from personal experience that some of the scenery in each national park is up there with England's finest.  The best means of balancing competing interests here surely needs greater input from Yorkshire lawmakers, not the Westminster village.

Goathland Station in the North Yorkshire Moors, has been used for filming in many television programmes and films, most famously in Harry Potter.

In the United States, the debate over regulating fracking at State level or at Federal level has intensified recently as the House of Representative passed a bill that prohibits the Department of the Interior to regulate on fracking in states that already have their own fracking regulations in place.  Whether this bill actually does become law is another matter, as the House of Representatives is only one legislative hurdle and President Obama is known to be in favour of tighter fracking rules at Federal level.  On the other side of the argument, supporters of state regulation argue that another level of regulation merely duplicates regulation and potentially may drive up costs to companies.

Back in the UK, some opponents of English devolution may well argue that in terms of geographical area size, England does not need devolution considering there are states in America which are bigger than England itself.  However, considering England is much more densely populated than the US, that argument certainly does not wash with me.  The devolution that has taken place in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland has opened up imbalances in the Union of the United Kingdom, in the sense that MPs from outside England have been able to vote on some English only matters, yet English MPs have been unable to vote on some non-English matters.

My belief is that fracking is an issue which needs to be regulated on a region to region basis, and that MPs with no geographical connection to a potential fracking region in question, are not being helpful in debating a regulation process for a location which would have few concerns for their own constituents.  I will hammer home this point again: IT IS TRUE THAT FRACKING AND IT'S POTENTIAL ECONOMIC BENEFITS COULD BE BENEFICIAL TO LOCAL COMMUNITIES; IT IS ALSO TRUE THAT LOCAL COMMUNITIES WILL FEEL ANY ADVERSE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT FROM FRACKING!  It is for this reason that I believe English Regional Governments would be best placed to balance the benefits against the potential environmental costs of fracking.