British gov't offers more gas and oil licenses as Campaigners warn of battle to save countryside

Britain's official oil and gas regulator, the Oil & Gas Authority, Tuesday paved the way for the first of 159 new onshore licenses to energy companies.

The authority's announcement, made in London, immediately sparked a response from environmental campaigners.

Daisy Sands of the campaign group Greenpeace described today's announcement as "the starting gun to the fight for the future of our countryside".

"Hundreds of battles will spring up to defend our rural landscapes from the pollution, noise and drilling rigs that come with fracking," Sands predicted.

The announcement came just days after the British government sparked an outcry by saying they will 'fast track' planning applications for gas and oil rigs if local councils are seen to be 'dragging their heels'.

The first major application in Britain for a shale gas plant close to the northern England resort of Blackpool was recently rejected by Lancashire County Council.

The OGA's new announcement says 27 onshore blocks will be formally offered to companies, with a second group of 132 blocks currently undergoing consultation, for award later this year.

Government energy minister Lord Bourne said: "As part of our long-term plan to build a more resilient economy, create jobs and deliver secure energy supplies, we continue to back our onshore oil and gas industry and the safe development of shale gas in the UK. This is why the OGA has moved quickly to confirm the winners of licence blocks which do not need further environmental assessment.

"Keeping the lights on and powering the economy is not negotiable, and these industries will play a key part in providing secure and reliable energy to UK homes and businesses for decades to come.

"It's important we press on and get shale moving, while maintaining strong environmental controls. Investment in shale could reach £33 billion (52 billion U.S.dollars) and support 64,000 jobs creating financial security for hardworking people and their families, whilst providing a cost-efficient bridge to lower-carbon energy use."

Andy Samuel, chief executive of the OGA said the latest onshore round of applications for licences had attracted significant interest.

Greenpeace has already described the proposal to speed up the planning process as 'an affront to local democracy'.

The charity's Daisy Sands said: "The contrast between government's view that local councils should be 'masters of their own destiny' and the new provisions is staggering. Local residents could end up with virtually no say over whether their homes and communities are fracked or not. This is a clear affront to local democracy.

The latest sites earmarked for exploration licenses, cover roughly 2,600 square kilometers in the north of England and East Midlands believed to be rich in shale gas.

The next wave of up to 132 licenses would cover another 13,000 square kilometers, and as well as including northern England would also spread to southern England where areas in places like Dorset and the Isle of Wight are thought to be rich in oil.

Andrew Pendleton of Friends of the Earth said: "Opening up huge swathes of northern England to a fracking blitz will only provoke more anger and controversy. Wherever fracking has been proposed, it has been opposed by local people." Endit