Shale gas has support of majority

Shale gas development has the support of a majority of the population, a survey shows today.

The survey by Populus for UK Onshore Oil and Gas, the energy body with shale explorers among its members, showed 57pc of those polled supported development, 16pc opposed it and 27pc were undecided. All regions produced a majority with the North East (62pc) the most enthusiastic, and London (52pc) the least.

However, government proposals to strip householders of the rights to any energy discoveries under their land have failed to win over most people. The ownership changes won approval from just 42pc. Another 42pc were undecided and only 16pc firmly against.

Almost 70pc of the 4,000 adults surveyed agreed that shale could help reduce imports but nearly 60pc were opposed to any development that would come at the expense of wind farms and other renewable energy.

Shale explorers have been cautious about starting drilling in the face of strong protests but Ken Cronin, chief executive of UKOOG, was encouraged by the results. “This survey shows that most people across the country think that shale gas should be developed,” he said. “Britain’s shale resource gives us the opportunity to become less dependent on foreign energy supplies, create tens of thousands of jobs and support our manufacturing industries.”

• Anti-fracking protesters from across Britain are preparing to descend on Lancashire this week. Activists from the “No Dash for Gas” movement will be bussed in from as far away as Brighton to set up a protest camp at an as-yet-undisclosed location in the Blackpool area, close to energy firm Cuadrilla’s proposed fracking sites.