Two campaign groups have urged councillors to block fracking plans later this week for the village of Burniston in North Yorkshire.

The proposal, by Europa Oil & Gas, is due to be decided on Friday (24 April 2026) by North Yorkshire Council’s strategic planning committee.

The company is seeking permission for a gas appraisal project involving drilling and lower-volume fracking, which it calls proppant squeeze.

Its proposals are allowed, despite the moratorium on fracking in England, because the volume of fluid that Europa plans to inject into rocks is below the legal threshold.

(See our article on calls for a revised definition of fracking based on the purpose and function of the operation, rather than the volume of fluid used.)

Opponents of fracking have urged the government to close the loophole that allows these lower-volume operations.

Planning officers have recommended approval of Europa’s planning application, despite more than 1,600 objections.

Tony Bosworth, a campaigner with Friends of the Earth said today:

“Proppant squeeze is fracking by another name.

“North Yorkshire Council cannot ignore its impact on local communities or the scale of opposition. This application must be rejected.”

Mr Bosworth said one of UK’s leading geologists warned recently that lower volume fracking could cause earthquakes as large and unpredictable as higher volume operations.

The government promised to ban fracking but it has not committed to prohibit lower-volume operations – or said when any ban would be introduced.

Mr Bosworth said:

“The government has rightly committed to banning fracking for good. It blights our countryside, won’t lower UK energy bills, and is deeply unpopular. 

“With significant parts of England already covered by oil and gas licences, ministers must reassure communities by banning all forms of hydraulic fracturing for fossil fuels.”

Fracking in Lancashire in 2019 caused earthquakes that were felt across the Fylde region. But the operation used lower volumes of fluid in each fracking stage than Europa plans to use at Burniston.

Professor Chris Garforth, of the local campaign group, Frack Free Coastal Communities, said:

“Councillors have a clear duty on Friday: reject this dangerous application.

“The evidence is overwhelming – low-volume fracking carries the same unpredictable earthquake risks as high-volume fracking, whether in Lancashire or on our fragile coastline.”

Professor Garforth added:

“Our community has shown extraordinary determination – over 1,600 objections, a massive lobby planned for Friday, and we won’t stop until this threat is defeated.

“This isn’t just about Burniston. It’s about closing the loophole that puts communities across the country at risk from an industry that has no place in a sustainable future.”

The Burniston planning meeting starts at 1pm, on Friday 24 April 2026 at Scarborough Town Hall, St Nicholas Street, Scarborough YO11 2HG. It can also be viewed online. Link to agenda A lobby of councillors is due to start outside the town hall at midday.

Campaigners in East Yorkshire are considering legal action against the Environment Agency for allowing permission for lower-volume fracturing (in this case called reservoir stimulation) at the West Newton-A oil and gas site. Recently, East Yorkshire Council voted unanimously against fracking in the county.

A planning application is expected for proppant squeeze at the Wressle oil site near Scunthorpe in North Lincolnshire.