North Yorkshire councillors are free to issue a formal refusal of plans by Europa Oil & Gas for drilling for gas and lower-volume fracking at Burniston, near Scarborough.

The council’s strategic planning committee voted almost unanimously (11 votes and 1 abstention) in a “minded to” refusal of the planning application last Friday afternoon (24 April 2026) .

The formal decision had to wait for a ruling by the local government secretary, Steve Reed, on whether another environmental impact assessment was needed.

Earlier this month, Friends of the Earth asked Mr Reed to consider an additional screening direction for the Burniston plans. The organisation suggested that more information was needed on the environmental impact of the application.

Friends of the Earth said this afternoon it had now received a reply from the minister, which said:

“the Secretary of State declines to issue a screening direction in response to your request.” 

In a statement issued on 29 April 2026, North Yorkshire Council’s head of development management, Martin Grainger, said:

“We have been notified by the Secretary of State that the Government does not intend to re-screen the application.

“Officers will now look to finalise reasons for refusing the application in line with members’ decision. A formal decision notice will then be issued in the near future.”

Friends of the Earth said this clears the way for councillors to issue a formal refusal.

Tony Bosworth, of Friends of the Earth, said:

“With the final issue resolved, North Yorkshire councillors can now formally reject this damaging and unnecessary fracking proposal at Burniston.”

The organisation is urging the government to ensure that its promised ban on hydraulic fracturing will include all fracking techniques for fossil fuels, including the lower-volume proppant squeeze intended for Burniston.

Environmental campaigners have argued for more than six years for the closure of a legal loophole that allows fracking techniques using volumes of fluid below the legal threshold.

The moratorium, introduced in England in 2019, prevents only operations using more than 1,000m3 per fracking stage or more than 10,000m3 in total.

Mr Bosworth said: 

“Fracking blights our countryside, won’t lower UK energy bills, and remains deeply unpopular. 

 “The focus now shifts to the government: it must deliver on its promise to ban fracking for good – with no loopholes. That means covering all forms of fracking, including ‘proppant squeeze’. If it fails, communities across England will remain under threat.” 

Yesterday, Europa Oil & Gas formally announced to investors it intended to appeal against the North Yorkshire decision.

DrillOrDrop report of the decision meeting and reaction

Updated 29 April 2024 with statement from North Yorkshire Council