EAST Lancashire anti-fracking campaigners have warned the battle to stop the controversial process is not over, despite Lancashire county councillors being urged to block two bids to drill for shale gas on the Fylde Coast.

Yesterday planners recommended the authority’s Development Control Committee refuse the applications by exploration committee Cuadrilla for two sites when it meets next week.

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They are at Preston New Road, near Little Plumpton, and Roseacre Wood, both between Blackpool and Preston.

But Hyndburn Green party general election candidate Kerry Gormley and Keep East Lancashire Frack Free press officer David Penney said the battle to stop shale gas drilling across the county has to continue.

They appealed for opponents to attend a public meeting in the Central Methodist Church Hall, Hargreaves Street, Burnley on Tuesday at 7.30 pm. The committee has allocated the following two days to consider its decision.

The British Geological Survey has identified the M65 Corridor from Blackburn through to Colne as sitting on major shale gas resources. The officers’ report recommended the Preston New Road application should be turned down because of noise ‘unnecessarily and unacceptably’ affecting neighbouring properties.

At Roseacre Wood, the document said an increase in traffic, particularly heavy goods vehicles, would result in ‘an unacceptable impact’ on safety on rural roads.

If the committee turns down the applications, it will be a major blow to efforts to get the UK’s shale gas and oil industry off the ground.

Mr Penney said: “This recommendation is welcome but the saga is far from over.

“We need as many people as possible to attend our meeting on Tuesday to make clear the level of opposition to fracking in East Lancashire which is vulnerable to the process whether these applications are approved or not.”

Ms Gormley said: “The recommendations are good news but by no means the end of the story.”

“The committee has not taken the decision and if it refuses the applications Cuadrilla can appeal.

“The east of the county remains at risk and people must keep up their opposition to fracking and attend the meeting in Burnley on to demonstrate it.”

A Cuadrilla spokesperson said: “We are very disappointed. “After an extraordinarily lengthy consultation we are surprised that, at this late point, the planning team has raised objections about background noise.

“We believe we have come forward with measures that would mitigate the noise of drilling and fracturing.

“In the end the councillors will have to weigh the relatively minor impacts against the wider local and national economic and energy security benefits.”

  • Friends of the Earth presented a 6,000 strong petition to Lancashire County council as the recommendations were announced yesterday morning.