Government upholds fracking appeal in landmark ruling

UK shale rock will be fracked horizontally, which is expected to yield more gas

Horizontal fracking can go ahead, the government has said, in a landmark ruling for the UK shale gas industry.

Communities Secretary Sajid Javid has approved plans for fracking at Cuadrilla's Preston New Road site at Little Plumpton in Lancashire.

Anti-fracking protests were held when the county council debated Cuadrilla's plans in June

Environmentalists and local campaign groups reacted angrily, saying it was a denial of local democracy.It means, for the first time, UK shale rock will be fracked horizontally, which is expected to yield more gas.


A second site, Roseacre Wood, has not yet been given the green light amid concerns over the impact on the area.

Live reaction to the fracking announcement
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Lancashire County Council refused permission to extract shale gas at both sites last year on the grounds of noise and traffic impact, but Cuadrilla appealed.


Cuadrilla chief executive Francis Egan said: "We have been through an exhaustive environmental impact assessment on this. "We have assessed everything; noise, traffic, water, emissions, etc.
"The Environment Agency are entirely comfortable with it."