Energy company Cuadrilla say they feel 'confident' about their appeal to frack, after councillors gave the green light to drill for shale gas in North Yorkshire.



Third Energy has become the first company to be given the go-ahead for fracking, which has not taken place in England since 2011.

Five years ago, tests on the Fylde coast were found to have been the likely cause of minor earthquakes in the area.

Last year permission was refused to drill for shale gas on the Fylde at sites Roseacre Wood and Little Plumpton.

But the company behind the plans, Cuadrilla, appealed and the final decision (expected later this summer) now rests with a government minister after it was taken out of the hands of Lancashire County Council.

Local opinion remains divided on whether the controversial process should be allowed.

Francis Egan, CEO of Cuadrilla said:

“I am delighted that Third Energy’s planning application to frack its existing vertical well in Yorkshire has been given the go ahead by North Yorkshire County Council today. This will boost the shale gas industry across the North of England, providing much needed jobs as well as gas vitally needed to heat our homes and power our businesses. I commend the North Yorkshire Councillors who, following their own planning officer’s recommendation, carefully considered the facts before them and recognised that fracking will be done safely and securely with the right regulation and mitigation in place. We remain confident in the strength of our appeal case for our own applications to frack the UK’s first horizontal wells in Lancashire and hope for a positive decision later this Summer. ”