Michael Fabricant joined other anti-gravel extraction protesters at Fradley Junction at noon on Saturday 19th June to present a 1200 name Petition to County Cllr Robert Marshall to oppose plans to increase gravel extraction around Fradley and move it on the canal system. Michael Fabricant says "I oppose any new gravel extraction north west of the A38. It will blight our villages and Staffordshire already extracts more than its fair share of sand and gravel while other counties like Shropshire extract very little. The plan to use the canal system is just a cynical attempt to appear ‘green’. The gravel companies know full well that the locks at Fradley Junction are too narrow to be practical for bulk haulage.

"But the good news is that the new Conservative Government has kept its promise and has stripped powers away from the Region and it will be for the County and not Birmingham to decide how much gravel will be extracted locally in future."

Accepting the Petition, Cllr Marshall assured those present "No more gravel extraction sites will be permitted by the County under new powers given to us by the Government".

The 1200 hundred names were collected from residents and holiday makers on narrow boats using Fradley Junction and The Swan Pub, also known as ‘The Mucky Duck’.

Photograph shows, left to right: Cllr Janet Eagland, Michael Fabricant, Anne Anderson (Campaign Organiser), and Cllr Robert Marshall outside The Swan Pub at Fradley Junction.