THE decision by Ryedale District Council on whether to approve fracking at Kirby Misperton has been deferred.

The deferment follows the recent agreement between North Yorkshire County Council (NYCC) and fracking applicants Third Energy that more information had to be provided by the company before the application could be judged.

NYCC has set February 9, 2016 as a possible new decision date.

The decision to defer was made by Ryedale Council’s planning committee last night. In a statement the council said: "The planning application, hydraulic fracturing KM8, is deferred until a future meeting of the planning committee.

"Third Energy have agreed to provide additional information, which has been requested by North Yorkshire County Council and for Ryedale District Council to be consulted upon."

NYCC have pressed Third Energy for more information, detail and clarification on issues as varied as noise pollution, lighting, traffic, fracking hours, water, landscape and local ecology.

NYCC will use the decision by Ryedale District Council to inform its own decision on whether to allow fracking at the KM8 site.

Ryedale Council already deferred the decision at a planning meeting early in November.

 

Flamingo Land respond to fracking

North Yorkshire County Council's own consultation on fracking at the site has recently attracted another high-profile comment.

Flamingo Land said that they are "very supportive of any initiatives which result in job creation", they have "a feel for the arguments on both sides", and that they found much of the anti-fracking campaign lacked "evidence and case studies."

However they did also say that they also have "massive concerns" that this application being successful may lead to several more fracking sites in the area.

Their letter added that multiple fracking sites "would change our visitors' perception of what a visit to Ryedale represents and would exacerbate existing traffic problems on local roads."