Conservatives pledge to drive through fracking projects, including under national parks – despite public opposition rising from 29% to 43% in the last 18 months, according to a YouGov poll

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

Public opposition to fracking in the UK has continued to rise, according to polling released as the new Conservative energy secretary said she would “deliver shale” now the impediment of the Liberal Democrats had been removed.

In her first interview since being appointed, Amber Rudd told the Sunday Times the government would push ahead with its promises to expedite the extraction of shale gas and change the law to allow frackers to drill beneath national parks.

But YouGov polling, commissioned by the newspaper, showed support for fracking has dwindled to just 32% in the last 18 months – a fall of 12 percentage points. Meanwhile, opposition rose to 43%, up from 29%.

Public attitudes to fracking

Rudd also confirmed the government’s intention to scrap subsidies for onshore wind farms and allow local communities to have final say over their installation.

“It will mean no more onshore wind farm subsidies and no more onshore wind farms without local community support,” she told the Sunday Times.

Currently, government planners have the final say on wind farm developments. But the government will hand power to local authorities who will conduct a public consultation.

Rudd said that she had no personal antipathy to wind farms. “I personally quite enjoy seeing them,” she said. But that it was a decision that should ultimately be left to local communities.

But local authorities may not get to use their veto as the government plans to remove the price support for onshore wind – making the industry compete directly with fossil fuel energy sources. Renewable groups have said the move will “kill the industry dead”.

The YouGov poll found the majority of people were supportive of allowing the continued spread of turbines, although 24% said the government should only “allow” but “not encourage” the industry. It was unclear from the survey whether these respondents specifically saw subsidies as “encouragement”. If they did, it would suggest the government’s scrapping of subsidies has healthy public support.

Public attitudes to onshore wind

However, offshore wind received wholehearted support, with 58% of people in favour of the government’s backing of the industry, which received a boost on Monday as Rudd announced the first offshore wind development off the south coast of England.

The 400MW Rampion wind farm, to be built off the coast of Brighton and Worthing, is expected to create 450 jobs and save 600,000 tonnes of CO2 each year.