CAMPAIGNERS have vowed to fight on against fracking as the first public meeting with Ineos approaches.

 

The petrochemical giant is pitching its pro-fracking message at a series of local meetings, starting in just over a week. The Grangemouth company last month revealed plans for community consultation in East Dunbartonshire and North Lanarkshire and offered landowners and homeowners a share of £2.5billion for hosting fracking sites.

Directors said conventional gas in the North Sea was drying up and the company wants to develop shale gas after acquiring full fracking rights for a 127sq mile site that stretches to Bishopbriggs.

The first meeting - which Ineos directors said would involve 'lots of drinking tea in village halls' - is to take place in Denny High School on April 16.

Forty-seven-year-old Paul Garner, of Denny & Dunipace Against Unconventional Gas, said he was confident the Scottish government was "listening to their people" and would rule against the controversial practice once their review into it is complete.

He said: "The central belt is such a small area. It would be a small industry in a densely populated area.

"Why take risks with the unknown? Scotland has enough energy to keep going for a long time."

Mr Garner, who lives in Denny, said a previous meeting in the high school saw an "overwhelming" response against fracking from the 300 people who attended.

He added: "We have concerns about what impact it has in terms of health and the environment.

"The quality of Scottish water is one of the highest and we don't want it compromised."

He said he hoped people would get the chance to ask questions at the meeting and it wouldn't be "just a presentation by Ineos."

"Hopefully we will get our points of view across."

Meanwhile, it was revealed at the weekend that the Energy Minister Fergus Ewing is planning to tell the Scottish Parliament soon that their consultation will begin in November and run until January - months later than many were expecting.

When Mr Ewing announced a temporary moratorium on fracking and coal-bed methane developments on January 28, he promised a health investigation and public consultation. He said he would announce the consultation "in around two months" and it would last for 12 weeks.

But the delay now means that any decision to maintain or end the moratorium is unlikely to be made before the general election in May 2016.