Barnsley council will not pursue licences for fracking operations on its own land

During yesterday’s (September 29) full council meeting, Councillor Kitching, leader of the Barnsley Liberal Democrat Group asked if the authority if it would “pursue licences for fracking operations on its own land?”

Councillor Robert Frost, cabinet spokesperson for regeneration and culture answered: “No.

“There’s a process to follow here, and any application that comes in here will be received on its merits, and taken through due process.

“Bear in mind with fracking, anything underground is the responsibility of the Environment Agency, and anything on the surface will come to planning.”

in 2019 the government introduced a moratorium on fracking for shale gas.

Prime Minister Liz Truss announced she will throw out the 2019 ban on fracking, in a bid to solve the energy crisis..

She told the Commons that the government will “end the moratorium on extracting our huge reserves of shale, which could get gas flowing as soon as six months, where there is local support for it”

Despite declaring that fracking will not go ahead where there is no local support, Ms truss did not rule out fracking in Lancashire, where the council and several MPs are opposed.

“If there is local consent, we will go ahead. We need to explore where there is local consent, and where there isn’t and we’re still doing that work. I don’t think you should rule out the whole of Lancashire,” she told BBC Radio Lancashire this morning.