ENVIRONMENTAL campaign group Friends of the Earth have called for more clarity over whether a fracking firm intends to gas flare in North Yorkshire.

Planning permission was granted to Third Energy in May 2016 to frack at Kirby Misperton on a site known as KM8 between Malton and Pickering.

Friends of the Earth have now raised concerns that the company intends to flare at the wellsite after Third Energy applied for a permit variation.

However, the company says that the campaign group has made an error in their interpretation of the data and its preference remains not to flare.

A spokesman said: “This application, as is clear from the Environment Agency portal, is for a variation of an existing permit as required under the 2010 Environmental Permitting Regulations.

“Anyone who has read our applications would know hydraulic fracturing operations have separate EA permits issued in 2016 and therefore do not fall under this variation process.

“We trust this is an honest error by Friends of the Earth which has failed to spot that the section it references is for an already consented second well on the site where the preference would be not to flare any gas.”

Gas flaring involves the burning of natural gas associated with oil extraction processes.

It has been linked to climate change due to the release of pollutants into the atmosphere.

Friends of the Earth maintain that Third Energy’s application is “very clear” that they are considering flaring at the Kirby Misperton wellsite.

A spokesman said: “They are now saying this has nothing to do with the KM8 well, permitted last year, and that the gas they would be flaring would come from another well, at the same site.

“The potential impacts of on-site flaring for local residents and the environment remain the same regardless of which well the gas to be flared comes from.

“Third Energy should stop avoiding the question and confirm whether or not they intend to flare at Kirby Misperton.

“Additionally, it is also by no means clear how Third Energy can claim that this permit application is completely separate from the KM8 permitting process, given that the application seeks to combine the new permit with the existing environmental permit for KM8.”

The Kirby Misperton site has attracted controversy since fracking permission was first granted.

There have been numerous demonstrations against fracking and a protest camp was set up at the site.