A RESIDENT living near the first approved fracking site in the UK since 2011, is to call for the Labour Party to adopt a ten year ban on shale gas extraction.

Mick Johnston, who lives in Ebberston in Ryedale, near the Kirby Misperton site, intends to call for a ten year moratorium on fracking in the UK.

He plans to put forward the resolution from the Thirsk and Malton Labour group at the national party conference in Liverpool this September.

The Labour delegate said he wanted to make sure his party put its full weight behind the campaign to stop fracking in Ryedale and elsewhere in the UK.

“I’m looking forward to working with colleagues from constituencies across the country that are threatened by fracking to make sure this happens,” he said.

“We are planning a fringe meeting at the conference to help get fracking recognised in the Labour Party as the threat to environment, health and the economy that it is.”

The resolution reads: “Communities in this constituency are being expected to accept the impact on the local economy in housing, tourism and agriculture, as the underdeveloped infrastructure of small rural roads and lanes will have to absorb massive levels of heavy goods traffic and diesel pollution.

“Thirsk and Malton Labour Party expect the energy policy of a Labour government to set a clear principle of “people before profit” and to actively support renewable means of generating energy whenever possible.”

Frack Free Ryedale and Friends of the Earth have applied for a judicial review of the decision to allow Third Energy permission to frack for shale gas, saying they believe the decision was unlawful.

North Yorkshire County Council voted in May to grant permission for shale gas extraction at Kirby Misperton.

Councillors approved the plans by 7 votes to 4, saying they were satisfied the plans safeguarded the natural environment and that ground and surface water would be protected from contamination.

On Saturday (July 30) Yorkshire’s biggest ever anti-fracking rally is due to take place in York, with more than 2,000 campaigners expected to attend.

The march will begin a Clifford’s Tower in York at midday. The march will then make its way to York Minster, where there will be speeches from community leaders, local politicians and anti-fracking campaigners.

Organisers say the family-friendly event is open to everyone.

Russell Scott, from Frack Free North Yorkshire, said: "Most people don't even know that they live in a fracking licence area, even though these cover almost every town and village in Yorkshire.

“People need to wake up and smell the methane - fracking is now in everybody's back yard."

Sarah Houlston, whose family farm is near Kirby Misperton, said: "We hope that everyone who is opposed to fracking will come along to the rally and make their voices heard.

“By doing so, you will be helping to protect thousands of rural jobs in tourism, agriculture and food production, which would be severely threatened by widespread fracking in the area."