Lancashire County Council has deferred a decision on an application to explore for shale gas for a further eight weeks.
Councillors met today, a week after planning officers recommended the sites be refused planning permission due to noise and traffic.
Shale company Cuadrilla has applied for permission to explore for shale gas at two sites between Preston and Blackpool, in Preston New Road, near Little Plumpton, and Roseacre Wood, near Roseacre.
But the firm last week asked for the decision on whether to give the go-ahead to be deferred, as it submitted new information.
The council’s development control committee met today and said the decision had been deferred so they could address the issues of noise and traffic.
The meeting in Lancashire comes after the Government made concessions in the Infrastructure Bill on fracking, agreeing to ban it in national parks and other protected areas, and accepting a
Labour amendment setting “necessary conditions” for the controversial process to take place.
But efforts by a group of MPs to force a moratorium on fracking failed, while a leaked letter emerged showing the Chancellor George Osborne’s efforts to push the shale industry in the UK, calling on Cabinet colleagues to make it a “personal priority”. gas would take place.
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