I HAVE a deep concern that people don’t realise exactly how much the Government wants to brazenly rewrite planning rules to make it even easier for fracking companies to drill.

We’ve already seen what has happened in Lancashire, but it will just get worse. Residents there have been brushed aside and side-lined, the council’s decision overturned.

If these proposals to remove decision making from councils go through, it will be a free-for-all everywhere.

Does the Government really believe that removing local opposition from the equation will be tolerated by communities and local councils?

It won’t.

If the unthinkable were to happen it would simply gift our countryside to the fracking companies.

We cannot allow these businesses to have such an unopposed and easy ride.

And now, with people actually being put in jail for peaceful protesting against fracking, I don’t know what further evidence is needed to show how unbalanced things have become.

The Government needs to know that they are mistaken about this.

Local people matter. Our voices count. These damaging proposals must not go through.

Please can I urge other people to take a few minutes to let Greg Clark, the Secretary of State, know this.

Or Google ‘Let Communities Decide’.

Sarah Barr Address supplied