West Sussex County Council has confirmed it will debate a motion to declare the county a Frack Free Zone at its next full council meeting.

A spokesperson said the debate – triggered by a petition of more than 3,000 signatures – will be on the agenda for the meeting on Friday 17^th October at County Hall North in Horsham.

Full meetings of the council, open to all 71 members, start at 10.30am. The spokesperson said petitions are usually debated as the first item on the agenda.

The petition, organised by Mark Howarth, argued that fracking in West Sussex threatened:

• The rural and tranquil atmosphere of the Sussex weald
• The area’s outstanding and highly designated landscape and wildlife
• The area’s dark night skies

The petition also said the area was unsuitable because of its geology and because it was water-stressed.

Full council meetings are open to the public and are usually webcast. The agenda is published 5-10 days before the meeting on the council’s website.