ANTI-FRACKING groups and community groups in North Yorkshire say they are deeply concerned by the Government’s decision to overturn Lancashire County Council’s decision and allow shale gas extraction.

Communities Secretary Sajid Javid has today reversed the council’s decision to allow fracking go ahead at Preston New Road in the Fylde area of Lancashire and given shale company Cuadrilla the green light to drill up to four wells.

The council refused permission for fracking to take place in the area last year, following massive local opposition to the plans.

Cuadrilla has been awarded 16 licences to explore for onshore oil and gas at various sites across North Yorkshire.

INEOS has been awarded 15 licences across Ryedale, including the North York Moors National Park and Howardian Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Earlier this year, Third Energy was granted permission to frack from an existing well near Kirby Misperton in Ryedale.

Ian Conlan, from Frack Free Ryedale said: "While welcoming the fact that Roseacre has been saved from the blight of fracking, we strongly condemn this outrageous decision by the Community Secretary Sajid Javid to allow it to take place at Preston New Road, which makes a mockery of the government's claims that they will allow local people to decide whether to allow fracking near their homes.

"Why is it that local communities are allowed a veto over wind farms in their area, but when they reject fracking the Government can call in and reverse their decision? The hypocrisy and contempt shown by this decision is simply breath-taking."

Steve Mason, a resident of the village of Great Habton, near Kirby Misperton, said: "This decision shows that there is a crisis within local democracy when it comes to planning.

"In Ryedale, for example, fracking at Kirby Misperton was strongly opposed by the local District Council, all five town councils and all the parish councils near the well-site.

“However, the North Yorkshire County Council planning committee summarily approved the application without even bothering to discuss the local councils' objections - and not one person on this committee lived in or near Ryedale.

"How can local people have any faith in a planning system that rides roughshod over local opinion in this way?"

A spokesman for Cuadrilla said: “With regards to Yorkshire, we have recently formally accepted the award of further onshore exploration blocks of licences issued by the UK Oil and Gas Authority.

“These licences, which total approximately 1274km² in area are all located in Yorkshire. “Whilst our current operational focus remains primarily in Lancashire, for the next year we will be undertaking desktop studies for this new Yorkshire exploration acreage.

“This will give us a very detailed understanding of the geology deep underneath the licence areas, helping to assess where future exploration sites can subsequently be located.”

A spokesman for the Department for Communities and Local Government said: "The Communities Secretary has today allowed three planning appeals related to two proposed shale gas exploration and monitoring sites in Lancashire.

"The decisions follow extensive consideration of all the evidence, including an independent planning inspector's report and evidence submitted during a two-week public inquiry."