Our new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had barely been in Downing Street for 24 hours when he made his first big call, one with huge implications for all of us here in Fylde.
I backed Rishi because I believe when it comes to major decisions, he gets them right. He is committed to the manifesto on which we campaigned and were elected in 2019. It was perhaps, therefore, no surprise that on his second day of office he chose to reinstate the moratorium on fracking.
Drilling was halted in England following an earthquake here in Fylde that was 251 times more powerful than the industry-agreed red event limit. It was agreed the moratorium would remain in place unless the science around fracking changed. All the evidence demonstrates it cannot be carried out safely here in Fylde. It was wrong to suggest the moratorium could be lifted and that communities should tolerate higher levels of disruption. I am pleased the Prime Minister has listened to the case I made on behalf of the people of Fylde. We can now draw a line under the fracking debate. It is my firm view it will never return to Fylde and I am now pushing the Government to ensure the well at Preston New Road is sealed and the site returned to agricultural use as soon as possible.
With fracking hopefully now consigned to history, we can look ahead and focus on delivering the investments crucial to Fylde. That is why I have asked the new Secretary of State for Transport to meet with me to discuss the passing loop proposals for the South Fylde line. While I recognise that funding is likely to be tight, I am also of the view it should be spent wisely and where it can make the biggest impact. The South Fylde passing loop is a shovel-ready scheme, one which can help improve local connectivity, encourage people onto the railway and drive regeneration both here in Fylde and further down the line. I want to ensure Ministers are aware of the fantastic benefits delivered for a relatively low cost.
In the meantime it is important reliability on the line is improved, something I continue to stress to Northern. It is vital too that Fylde’s stations provide the best possible welcome. That is why I was so disappointed to see a parcels unit built on the platform at Lytham, right in front of the community-funded signage. Having raised the matter with Northern and Fylde Council I am glad to hear a decision has been made to relocate the collection point. I know how important extra revenue is for Northern and how convenient these parcel points can be for local people, but location is key. In this case it is good to have helped ensure a positive outcome for all.