The MP for the North Yorkshire village of Burniston, where there are plans for a form of fracking, has promised to question the government on its commitment to ban the process. 

At a meeting with residents, Labour’s Alison Hume repeated her opposition to proposals by Europa Oil & Gas for a proppant squeeze at Burniston.

“I am against fracking in all its forms, including small-scale fracking, such as the proppant squeeze Europa are proposing to carry out here”.

Labour has committed to ban fracking but has not said when this would happen.

The current moratorium in England prevents associated hydraulic fracturing. This is defined in legislation as fracking that uses at least 1,000m3 of fluid per stage or 10,000m3 in total.

But fracking that uses lower volumes, including the Burniston proposal, are not covered by the moratorium. Anti-fracking campaigners have argued these processes should be included in the ban.

Ms Hume told the meeting of about 60 residents she would table a parliamentary question before the summer recess to get a clear statement from a minister about intentions for a ban:

“As a government we are banning fracking and working through the implication of that. I’m pushing for that to include small scale fracking, which is currently treated differently, and shouldn’t be.”

Ms Hume said the meeting underlined the strength of feeling within the community against Europa’s proposal.

“I’ll take what you told me back to Westminster and ensure the voices of my constituents are heard in government.”

Frack Free Coastal Communities (FFCC), a local group opposing the Burniston plans, welcomed the MP’s promise of a parliamentary question.

Some people at the meeting felt the government had been giving mixed messages recently about the speed and trajectory of the transition towards net zero and decarbonisation, the group said.

Residents also wanted to know the likely timescale for including proppant squeeze in the fracking ban and whether the ban would be retrospective to cover planning approvals already made.

The MP heard that residents were disappointed and frustrated that the North York Moors National Park planning committee had decided not to object to Europa’s planning application.

FFCC members who addressed the committee told Ms Hume they felt they were simply ignored and the planning officers were too ready to accept at face value whatever Europa had written. 

Ms Hume said she was writing to the national park authority to express her disappointment about the decision.

The meeting also discussed the risk of fracking inducing seismicity, including small earthquakes.

One resident, a geologist, said Europa had not submitted the detailed geological analysis required for a fracking proposal by the North Yorkshire Minerals and Waste joint plan.

Ms Hume said  local residents and voters of the area were best placed to hold their county councillors and planning authority to account.

She encouraged those at the meeting to continue their campaign:

“We’ve got to get this stopped. We are not going to see fracking here.”