Reacting to the landmark decision by North Yorkshire County Council to approve fracking for the first time in the UK for five years, Green MEP Keith Taylor said:
“This outcome is hugely disappointing for local residents, campaigners, environmentalists and the country as a whole. The decision overlooks the scientific consensus, ignores the objections of local residents, and disregards Britain’s long-term energy needs.
"In approving Third Energy’s application to frack Kirby Misperton, the County Council has set an extremely worrying precedent. Councils in North Yorkshire will now find it more difficult to reject future fracking applications. This could result in hundreds of wells across Ryedale and the industrialisation of North Yorkshire’s precious countryside.
"The decision is also likely to send the message that Britain is ‘up for shale’ to other local authorities in England and the wider fracking industry. This announcement will also be welcomed by a government so determined to fast-track this dangerous industry that it is prepared to overrule authorities that wish to remain frack-free. Let us not forget that the reason we haven’t seen fracking in the UK since 2011 is because of the environmental, and seismic, destruction the procedure caused in Blackpool.
"The UK has enormous renewable energy potential – and, in my constituency, in the South East, we have seen evidence that people have the passion, willingness and know-how to create low-carbon, people-powered energy in spite of the Government’s onslaught. The best chance of limiting the potentially catastrophic effects of climate change is by leaving fossil fuels in the ground. Fracking is an environmentally reckless distraction from the work that must be done to build a sustainable future based on a low-carbon, democratic energy system.”