The High Court has reserved its judgment on a legal challenge against one of the first planning applications to carry out fracking in England.
Residents from the village of Kirby Misperton are asking a judge to block a decision to allow hydraulic fracturing near their homes.
In a joint landmark application with environmental group Friends of the Earth, they urged Mrs Justice Lang, sitting in London, to rule the decision "unlawful" and quash it.
After a hearing over two days, the judge announced she was "reserving judgement in this difficult case"

 Campaigners are challenging one of the first planning applications to carry out fracking in the country.

Residents from Kirby Misperton joined forces with Friends of the Earth (FoE) at the High Court in London this weekin a bid to block a decision to allow hydraulic fracturing near their homes.

Fracking company Third Energy was granted permission by North Yorkshire County Council (NYCC) in May.

The Frack Free Ryedale campaigners, who have so far raised more than £9,000 to fund their application for judicial review, hae accused the local planning authority of failing properly to assess the climate change impact of extracting shale gas by fracking.

They and FoE also say the council is failing to secure long-term financial protection in the ''likely'' event that fracking will cause environmental damage.

Reverend Jackie Cray, who lives in Kirby Misperton, said: ''The county council received 4,375 objections against the application and only 36 letters in favour, yet still approved the plans. We can't call this democracy.''

Fellow campaigner David Davis added: "We are doing what we can with the legal system we have for the people of Ryedale. We are not green campaigners, just local people who are concerned about the effect fracking will have."

David Wolfe QC, appearing for the residents and FoE, argued in court that the county council "misdirected itself in law" by concluding that it could not require Third Energy to provide a financial bond in relation to any long-term "legacy" environmental pollution arising from fracking.

The court was told that gas produced from the site, known as Kirby Misperton A (KMA), would be taken by underground pipeline to nearby Knapton power station.

It is the first planning permission granted in England for fracking on a production scale, as opposed to permissions for exploration, and permits fracking and gas production for nine years.

Mr Wolfe argued the council had failed to consider the impact of the "indirect, secondary or cumulative" emissions from shale gas burnt at Knapton on climate change.

Sasha White QC, representing NYCC, said the fundamental problem with Mr Wolfe's submission was that the regulations did not require the Knapton emissions to be assessed in the context of the planning permission under challenge.

Mr White argued other permissions in the planning system and other regimes controlled the amount of emissions Knapton was allowed to produce "irrespective of what happens at KMA".

He asked: "Why consider something already allowed?"

Mr White also said it could not be argued that no provision was being made for any long-term fracking "legacy".

He said: "That will be a matter for the planning judgment of the defendants in the context of a detailed scheme that has yet to be approved."

The hearing continues tomorrow (Wednesday).