The call for comments on plans to drill for gas and carry out a form of fracking near Scarborough has been extended.

A public consultation on the scheme by Europa Oil & Gas at Burniston had been due to end on Thursday 17 April 2025.

But North Yorkshire Council, which will decide the proposals, has confirmed that the deadline has now been extended twice. A spokesperson for the council said:

“The consultation period has previously been extended until April 30.

“However, we will accept representations up until the point of determination, when the application goes before the relevant planning committee.”

The decision date for the Burniston proposal has not yet been published.

Some people have experienced problems submitting their responses to the planning application. During the consultation, the council’s online comment system was disrupted and people were advised to send their comments by email.

Updated: There have also been reports that submitted emails were not published on the council’s planning portal or that emails were published but later disappeared. DrillOrDrop has been trying to find out how many emails have been affected. North Yorkshire Council said two emails had been sent to a spam folder but have now been retrieved. Campaigners in Burniston have told us that more emails have disappeared. We are continuing to follow this up with the council.

• We previously reported that Burniston Parish and Newby and Scalby Town Councils had voted unanimously to object to Europa’s planning application. Cloughton Parish Council also agreed at its April meeting to object to the proposals.

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