North Yorkshire County Council’s planning committee has approved plans by Third Energy to frack its existing well at Kirby Misperton in Ryedale.
The decision was greeted with shouts and tears from opponents of the scheme both inside and outside County Hall in Northallerton.
The committee voted by 7 to 4 to approve Third Energy’s application to frack, test and produce gas from its KM8 well for up to nine years.
The result came at the end of two days of testimony and discussion.
The council’s planning officers had recommended approval despite more than 4,000 objections and a petition of more than 2,500 signatures.
Councillors who voted against the application: John Blackie (NY Ind), Bill Hoult (Lib Dem), David Ireton (Cons), Robert Packham (Lab).
Councillors who voted for the application: David Blades (Cons), Robert Heseltine (Ind), Andrew Lee (Cons), Clifford Lunn (Cons), Peter Sowray (Cons), Cliff Trotter (Cons), Robert Windass (Cons).
Reaction to the decision
Updated 27/5/2016 with names of councillors who voted in favour and against the application and links to reaction posts
This report is part of DrillOrDrop’s Rig Watch project. Rig Watch receives funding from the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust. More details here
Categories: Regulation
DRILL OR DROP? 
sad day for democracy, obviously the views of the people don’t count one jot. I hold all of those seven to account when it goes wrong. They were told and haven’t listened and should be sued by the very community its supposed to represent.
not surprised, now we wait and see…
What a fantastic victory for democracy, science, facts, and common sense. It is nice to finally see that these factors can outweigh the hyperbole and fearmongering that is always present in the anti-frack mafia. Hurray for N Yorkshire! Hurray for the UK!
Now of course we will have to see if anyone actually notices it when it happens. Nobody noticed the drilling after all and that was much bigger affair.
Wow Bill, brilliant, really funny, you’re not Jasper Carrot in your spare time are you? Haven’t laughed so much in weeks….thanks
Says Ken the local in Bristol. Actually many if not all the locals noticed and complaints were made, and not just only one complaint as Third Energy claim. But then you wouldn’t know that would you because you are not local and just believe what Third Energy say.
North Yorkshire County Council ignored the 4,000 objections and the 2,500 signatures petition . No-one in their right mind can say this result was a victory for democracy. …and indeed in a few years when the local landscape and beyond is changed from rural natural to industrialised it will be then the true cost will be counted with great sorrow and regret.
While your entitled to your view Bill and I respect your opinion how exactly is it a victory for democracy for councillors to totally ignore their residents views.
I think you’ll find that they definitely noticed it in Lancashire Ken and fracking is a totally different process to drilling.
## BILL ##
Are all these quote, “fermongering ?”
Have these all got their facts and science wrong ?
Are these supporters of the quote, “anti frack mafia ? ”
Just Google any of the following below, (as it reads) to read their reports on the dangers of fracking .
NOBEL PEACE PRIZE winners, ( PSR ) Physicians For Social Responsibility, fracking
DEFRA, fracking report
BREAST CANCER ACTION, fracking
BREAST CANCER FUND, fracking
BREAST CANCER UK, fracking
STOP CANCER NOW, Fracking and your health, 24 February
PREVENT CANCER NOW, Fracking shale gas and health, a case for precaution.
CANADIAN ASSOCIATION OF PHYSICIANS FOR THE ENVIRONMENT ( CAPE’s ) …..
CAPE’s position statement on fracking , June 2014.
NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENCE COUNCIL ( NRDC ). Fracking
UNITED STATES NEWS,
headlined…. Toxic Chemicals, Carcinogens, skyrocket near fracking sites.
BRITISH MEDICAL JOURNAL fracking ….. public health England’s draft report on shale gas extraction. The BMJ.
Maybe you would also like to comment on the article published on the Guardian Newspaper 30th March 2015, HEADLINED. ….. Doctors And Academics Call For Ban On Inherently Risky Fracking.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY fracking …. scientific review reveals public health and data gaps.
PHYSICIANS, SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS FOR PUBLIC HEALTHY ENERGY ( PSE ) fracking ……. and read the many reports published by them regarding the dangers of fracking.
MORE REPORTS AVAILABLE ON REQUEST
Bill, I look forward to your detailed response.
We may find Bill is a shareholder in Peel associates, and is looking forward to the rich rat profits, leaving us with the cleanup bill
Great news and about time.
Let’s see how the people respond this news.
When Igas tried to impose their plans against the will, of the people of Manchester.
The local community rallied together and as a result of direct action, Igas overshot their testing completion date by more than a month.
I was told that this overshoot added an approximate, £25,000 per day to their overall costs. No wonder they now view the North West as difficult place to frack.
And I wonder how much the Police presence will cost the tax payer?
The Police are public servants of the people. They are paid by tax payers to protect and serve the public.
The Police should not be used as a private security firm to protect an industry that the majority of people ( tax payers ) do not want.
The decision was at the end of a democratic decision, just like the rejection in Blackpool. The police are there to keep the Queen’s Peace. Third have property and lawful business in Kirby Misperton, and should expect the same rights as everyone else whether they are a minority or not. The police said they will facilitate lawful protest. Sadly summer is comimg and based on my experience near Balcombe in Sussex, the good people of KM can expect considerable disruption from protests which will have little respect for the environment. None of that will be Third’s fault.
‘the good people of KM can expect considerable disruption from protests which will have little respect for the environment’
should read ‘
the good people of KM can expect considerable support from teachers, doctors, academics, business people, health professionals, scientists, working and retired persons, housewives and househusbands, adults and young people, engineers and many other professions of the UK and the world who have TOTAL RESPECT for the Environment’….
And I wonder how much the loss of earnings, local business tax and unemployment benefit as agriculture and tourism industries are hit, increased costs for social care for the elderly whose houses are devalued and cannot contribute as much to their care home costs in the future, subsidies to the industry, costs to repair roads from the number of trucks needed etc etc…. will cost the same taxpayers…..