GEORGE Osbourne is in favour of fracking because “it could lead to lower bills, more jobs and lower carbon emissions” but said “there will need to be full checks to make sure fracking is safe and safeguards the environment”.

Fracking is not safe.

Millions of gallons of water, toxic chemicals and sand are pumped down into the ground at high pressure to fracture the rock and allow the methane gas to escape.

The gas and water return to the surface, contaminated with poisonous heavy metals, radioactive elements and other gases.

Fracking will damage the environment.

There will need to be massive drilling, pumping and storage tanks every four to five miles across the Cheshire countryside.

Millions of gallons of water are required, so that means thousands of tanker journeys.

Fracking will not lead to lower carbon emissions.

How can burning or leaking more fossil fuels lead to lower carbon emissions?

We already have sufficient fossil fuel reserves worldwide to make large areas of our planet uninhabitable. We don’t need any more.

Fracking will not create more jobs.

Fracking in the US and Poland has not led to equipment and supplies being purchased locally.

Jobs have gone to transient staff.

Fracking will not lead to lower family bills. Gas prices are set in an international market, so any gas extracted by fracking in Cheshire would hardly affect our bills. To reduce our bills, we should invest in insulation, efficient heating and solar panels.

The Green Party thinks fracking should be banned because it’s too dangerous.

Richard Barraclough Cheshire East Green Party