SENIOR judges will be asked to decide on whether fracking should be allowed to go ahead in North Yorkshire on Tuesday.

A two-day High Court hearing will get underway on the legality of the county council’s controversial decision to allow the company Third Energy to frack for shale gas near Kirby Misperton.

Councillors voted by seven votes to four in favour of the move at a meeting in May.

Friends of the Earth and Frack Free Ryedale will argue that the decision was unlawful, claiming that councillors did not properly consider the climate change impact of burning gas at Third Energy’s nearby ageing power station.

They will further claim that the council failed to secure long-term financial protection from the company against the risk of environmental damage over the long term.

Friends of the Earth campaigner Simon Bowens said: “We are really fired up for our day in court.

“Shale gas is a dirty fossil fuel which is why we are calling on the judge to see that justice is done for the community of Kirby Misperton and for the millions of people affected by catastrophic climate change.”

Reverend Jackie Cray, a member of Frack Free Ryedale and a claimant in the case said: “This application was opposed by the Ryedale District Council, every Ryedale town council, 15 parish councils, businesses such as Flamingo Land, the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, the Castle Howard Estate, and dozens of other groups and local businesses.

“The county council received 4,375 objections against the application and only 36 letters in favour, yet still approved the plans. We can’t call this democracy.”