IGas site at Ellesmere Port, 21 January 2019. Photo: DrillOrDrop

Decisions on shale gas schemes at Ellesmere Port in Cheshire and Woodsetts in South Yorkshire will be issued within the next three months, the Planning Inspectorate has announced.

Both schemes are to be decided by the local government secretary, Robert Jenrick.

In June 2019, his predecessor, James Brokenshire, recovered the appeals against refusals of planning permission.

Ineos was seeking consent for exploratory drilling, but not fracking, at Woodsetts. IGas was seeking permission to test its already-drilled well at Ellesmere Port.

Mr Jenrick will issue his decision on or before 8 April 2020, the Planning Inspectorate said yesterday.

It added that the planning inspectors who chaired public inquiries on the appeals have now submitted their reports to Mr Jenrick. Links to Woodsetts inquiry and Ellesmere Port inquiry

• Woodsetts Against Fracking, which gave evidence against the Ineos scheme at its public inquiry, has met the new Conservative MP for Rother Valley, Alexander Stafford. The group said he had confirmed his opposition to fracking anywhere in the UK.