RYEDALE District Council (RDC) has resolved to oppose fracking in the area following the Government’s decision to overturn the moratorium on the practice.

A motion was put forward at a meeting of the full council by Cllr Joy Andrews and seconded by Cllr Alasdair Clark ‘to actively oppose the creation of any new source of fossil fuels in the district’.

This is to include drilling and hydraulic fracturing (fracking) for oil or gas.

Despite an attempt by the Tory group to have this motion referred to the Policy and Resources committee for discussion, Cllr Mike Potter proposed it should be decided that evening.

Speaking after the meeting Cllr Potter said: “After then debating the motion and despite the council having declared a climate emergency about three years ago, the Tories abstained, with the exception of Cllr Docwra, who said her electorate were firmly against fracking.

“You might almost believe they don’t believe that climate change is real and an existential and urgent threat, or want fracking or other new sources of fossil fuels to be developed.

“This doesn’t chime with what many prospective councillors have been saying on the doorstops or in the media.

“Although RDC voted for a moratorium on fracking in 2019 in line with the Government’s national decision, the new Truss government has just reversed that moratorium, despite no new evidence to prove the process can be done safely or without the risk of triggering seismic activity, which was the reason for the moratorium being declared in 2019, after a series of small earthquakes in Lancashire.”

The decision by RDC comes as Friends of the Earth published a map showing areas of England covered by oil and gas licences.

Cllr Paul Andrews, a key campaigner against fracking, said: “I did not realise there were so many active licences issued for fracking in Ryedale. Fracking cannot be viable unless there is a grid of drill pads, and these need to be spaced about one and a half miles apart in every direction.

“So, if any of these licences are implemented, it will be the ruin of local business, agriculture and tourism in Ryedale and the effects will probably spill over to Scarborough as well.

“The Government has no democratic mandate for this. Fracking must never be allowed to take hold in this part of the country. If the Government cannot be trusted to keep their manifesto promises, they cannot complain if protesters use all lawful means to resist this filthy industry.”

Green Party member Josie Downs said: “We can only hope to hold global warming to under 1.5°C if we leave fossil fuels in the ground.

“The energy security challenge will not be addressed by the granting of these licences because it will take years for these projects to come to fruition. We need to be investing in the solutions that are available now – not in solutions we know will drive climate disruption.”