Balcombe Parish Council is to ballot villagers on their opinion on future oil and gas exploration in the area.

The ballot, to be run by Electoral Reform Services, will inform the council’s future policy on exploration and extraction. It aims to collect opinions on:

• Cuadrilla’s application for planning permission to flow test the well it has already drilled at Lower Stumble
• Any future applications to explore for or extract oil or gas within the parish that would or might involve fracking
• Any future applications to explore for or extract oil or gas within the parish that would not involve fracking.

The deadline for completed papers to reach Electoral Reform Services is Thursday 7th November.