U.K. Residents Get Ready to Sue Cuadrilla After Fracking Banned

(Bloomberg) -- British homeowners who claim that fracking has damaged their property are preparing to sue Cuadrilla Resources Ltd., the Sunday Times reported.

Some residents near the company’s Preston New Road site in northwest England say that fracking caused damage that will cost thousands of pounds to repair. The U.K. fracking industry suffered a fatal blow on Saturday as the Conservative government ended its support for the practice. Companies including Cuadrilla and Ineos Group Ltd. had been hoping to exploit reserves trapped in difficult-to-tap shale formations deep underground.

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Caudrilla has attempted to appease locals with a 250 pounds ($324) goodwill payment, though that only stoked more anger, the Sunday Times said. Cuadrilla would vigorously defend any action and was unaware of any potential litigation, it told the paper.

To contact the reporter on this story: Alex Longley in London at alongley@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Alaric Nightingale at anightingal1@bloomberg.net, Lars Paulsson, James Amott

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