Anti-fracking protesters set to meet with WSCC leader

The protesters are spending their third day camped outside County Hall in Chichester.

“The latest situation here is that three of the protesters will meet with our leader Louise Goldsmith, chief fire officer Sean Ruth and our head of legal Tony Kershaw at 10am,” said a spokesperson for West Sussex County Council.

“They are going to present a list of questions to us and then they will hold a meeting inside County Hall to discuss these points.”

Around 25 protesters from the Frack Free Sussex group set up camp on Saturday morning.

Although numbers have dwindled, the campaigners who have come from Brighton, Cuckfield, Rygate, Shoreham and Littlehampton, are planning to talk to councillors on their way in to work.

They are protesting against the threat of fracking in Balcombe, and Fernhurst, near Midhurst.

One protestor from Balcombe, who didn’t want to be named, said: “We are all representing different things.

“We have people whose businesses will be affected.

“We will just have to see what happens in this meeting.”

‘Peaceful’ Dan, one of the campaigners, questioned who West Sussex County Council serves.

“Is it the local people or is it these corporate entities?”