CAMERON has announced that his Government is ‘going all out for shale’ and that councils will be entitled to keep 100 per cent of business rates raised from fracking sites Fracking is about using high pressure water and chemicals to fracture underground rock, there by releasing trapped gas.

This decision to grant councils 100 per cent of business rates from shale companies is nothing less than a bribe.

How low can this Government get in its attempt to gain favour with local people?

In relation to planning law, surely these sweeteners must raise huge concerns about conflicts of interest if those councils who will benefit from the money are the same ones who decide on the planning applications from the fracking companies in the first place.

There are very serious, legitimate, environmental and safety concerns about the fracking process and until they are addressed, a future Labour controlled council in Trafford could not support fracking even if the Government offers incentives to us, presumably to try and compensate us for the massive cuts they have made to council funding I came in to politics to protect our environment, not destroy it!

Cllr Jane Baugh, Shadow spokesperson, health and wellbeing, Trafford Labour group