The North Yorkshire village of Foxholes has asked for more detail on plans to explore for gas near local homes.

The parish council, which voted unanimously last month to object to the proposal, has said it is exercising a legal right to request clarification and seek additional documents.

The application, by Egdon Resources, seeks to drill a well through a chalk aquifer. (Link to application details)

The parish council has now asked the company to provide the information before the proposal is decided by North Yorkshire Council.

It said the information is required “in the interests of transparency” to assess the application properly and to give a “substantive response”.

The council is seeking:

• A full list of chemicals that would be used in the proposed operation
• Specific details about how the well would be constructed
• Technical summary of environment risks and mitigation
• Presentation of these findings in plain language accessible to the public

It also wants to know:

• Whether the proposed well would be deviated/horizontal and, if so, what would be the depth and trajectory
• How gas flow would be stimulated during well and flow testing phases
• What contingency planning is in place in the event of water contamination
• How would the village know if the proposed impermeable membrane below the wellpad had been compromised
• A contingency route for heavy vehicles if the proposed transport across Staxton Hill was inaccessible

David Eddy, chair of Foxholes and Butterwick Parish Council, said in a letter (see below):

“Until the above information is supplied, we believe that consultees and the public cannot fully evaluate the environmental and community impacts of the proposal.

“I therefore request that Egdon Resources provides this additional information and makes it available through the planning portal so that a meaningful consultation can take place.”

A survey of Foxholes and Butterwick residents found that 90% were against the Egdon proposal.

A briefing document produced for the parish council asked:

“Can we afford to take the risk with our water and food security and the health of our community?

“The Yorkshire Wolds are a living landscape. This isn’t just land. It’s history, memories, identity, and home.

“We’re drawing a line in the chalk.”

Another North Yorkshire gas exploration application, at Burniston near Scarborough, will not be decided this month. The proposal is not on the agenda for the Noth Yorkshire Council’s planning committee meeting on 9 September 2025.