Lancashire County Council announced in the past few minutes it has agreed with Cuadrilla to a target date of 30^th April 2015 to decide the company’s applications to frack at two sites in the Fylde.

The 12-week delay is to allow for consultation on information provided by Cuadrilla about noise and traffic.

Last week, the county council’s development control committee decided to defer decisions on applications after the company asked it to consider new proposals to reduce the impact of noise and traffic.

The applications are to drill, frack and test gas flows at up to eight wells at Preston New Road, Little Plumpton, and Roseacre Wood at Roseacre.

The council said its planners were considering the information and would hold a further consultations before putting their recommendations to the committee. The public consultation is expected to be three weeks. But there is no date yet for when this will begin or when the Development Control Committee will decide the applications.

A council spokesperson said the meeting date would depend on how quickly the information and consultation results could be assessed. “We are trying to do this as soon as possible but it is still a little up in the air.”