Dear Editor,

In late December we learnt that licenses to ‘frack’ have been awarded for areas in the south of Herefordshire.

Now it appears that Westminster cabinet ministers have been lobbying to have planning decisions on fracking taken away from local councils. (leaked letter reported in Daily Telegraph January 30th 2016).

Whatever you might think of the rights and wrongs of fracking, it is surely a sad day for British democracy when central government feels they can further disempower local councils in this way.

Local decisions should be taken by locally elected and accountable council members. Will Herefordshire Council be making representations to Westminster to retain the power to grant or refuse planning permission in our own back yard?

Robert Palgrave

Hereford Green Party

How Caple