COUNCILLORS in Ryedale are calling on their council to employ its own minerals expert, so they can challenge a draft policy document on fracking in North Yorkshire.

A special meeting of Ryedale District Council is being held on Thursday to debate a motion by independent Malton councillors Paul Andrews and Lindsey Burr, requesting the council employs its own specialist officer in minerals planning.

They want Ryedale to be exempt from North Yorkshire County Council’s draft Minerals and Waste Joint Plan, which sets out guidelines on the development of future shale gas extraction sites in the county.

More than a dozen licences have been issued for gas exploration in North Yorkshire, including the North York Moors, but the extent and commercial viability of these sites will only be established once drilling begins.

The county council’s minerals and waste plan took four years to draw up and covers policy on mining, quarrying and waste disposal. A draft has already been approved and sent to an independent planning inspector to check the document is in line with national policy. The examination is expected to include a number of public hearings on key issues before the inspector recommends if it can be adopted.

Cllr Andrews said: “The plans allow ten pads per 100 sq km. It doesn’t sound a lot but it’s 38 square miles. If you had ten sites equally spaced out over 38 square miles it’s one every three miles. It would completely industrialise this part of the countryside.”

As a result the two councillors want Ryedale exempt from the policy.

Cllr Andrews says Ryedale’s Local Plan prohibits the type of surface development involved in hydraulic fracturing. He said: “What we’re saying is it is totally inconsistent to have fracking pads all over the county with Ryedale’s local plan.”

Cllr Burr added: “We just need to make sure we’re ready if this goes to an inquiry. At the moment we haven’t got that expertise as we’re a small council. As far as I know we would be the first council to have an expert in waste and minerals planning.”