Conservative-led East Yorkshire Council votes to ban fracking

A Conservative-led council has voted to ban fracking, despite government plans to explore it as a solution to energy problems.

East Riding of Yorkshire Council members voted overwhelmingly in favour of a Liberal Democrat motion opposing the process, according to the Local Democracy Reporter Service.

The vote comes after Liz Truss announced in September that the 2019 fracking ban would be lifted to boost domestic gas production following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Jonathan Owen, leader of the controlling Conservative group on the council, said fracking was "unproven as a means of production" and "not the right route" for the government to take.

He said: "Original arguments against fracking still hold in my mind and I have heard nothing to change my views."

East Yorkshire sits on the Bowland Shale which, according to the British Geological Survey (BGS), is the UK's most promising area for exploration.

Mr Owen said he was "concerned" about the effect fracking could have on the Yorkshire Wolds and its bid to become an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Fracking sees holes drilled deep into the earth to allow a high-pressure mixture of water, sand and chemicals to be fired at the rock underground. The impact creates small fractures within shale formations which enabled the energy from an underground well to be extracted.

The vote in East Yorkshire comes after the prime minister vowed fracking “will only go ahead in areas of local support”, while Jacob Rees-Mogg has called opposition to the controversial practice "sheer ludditery".

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has warned that re-introducing fracking in the UK would not cut people's energy bills or strengthen energy security.

He said these plans would "drive a coach and horses through our efforts to fight the looming climate crisis".

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