AN energy firm which aims to begin fracking operations before the end of the year has had its proposals rejected by planners at the first hurdle.

North Yorkshire County Council said it had asked Third Energy for clarity and had not validated the controversial scheme to hydraulically stimulate and test various geological formations at Kirby Misperton, North Yorkshire.

If the tests reveal commercial quantities of gas, the firm would start producing gas from up to five formations into the production facilities it has run at the site for about 20 years for the generation of electricity.

A council spokesman declined to detail what its issues with the planning application had been.

He said: "We haven't yet validated the application, so as it is not a public document the matter is between the council and the applicant.

"The ball is back in Third Energy's court, so we don't know how long it will take for the firm to resubmit the application."

Third Energy, which submitted an application to the Environment Agency for permits to frack this week, said it had decided to withdraw the council application after reviewing feedback.

It said a new application would be made shortly, taking into account the authority’s comments.

John Dewar, the firm's director of operations, said: “Whilst the individual reasons for not validating the application are not difficult to address, we have decided that the simplest course of action is to resubmit the revised documents as a new application.”

Chris Redston, of Frack Free Ryedale, said the council's decision was unlikely to fill anyone with confidence that the company would be able to frack safely and discreetly.

He called for the firm and the council to reveal why the application failed its validation test.

Mr Redston added: "Failure to do so will undermine Third Energy's crumbling credibility even further, and leave the company open to accusations of a cover-up."

The move emerged at a meeting of the authority's Ryedale area committee, which had been required to debate the application after a petition containing 1,021 signatures was submitted to the council, demanding the authority publicly oppose fracking.

After an ill-tempered debate, the meeting referred the petition to the council's executive and transport and health scrutiny committees.

The decision emerged as MEPs in Strasbourg voted in favour of moratorium on fracking until is proven safe, but as the amendment vote was not adopted it is believed the vote will have no practical effect.