Lancashire County Council has called on the Government to give local authorities the right to decide on whether fracking is allowed in their area.

The Government said that fracking will only be allowed where there is local community support, but has not yet set out how that consent will be measured or who will be asked.

The county council has written to the Government calling for ‘clarity’ on who makes the final decision when it comes to planning permission for fracking.

County councillor Aidy Riggott, cabinet member for economic development and growth, said: ‘When the moratorium on fracking was introduced in 2019 it was welcomed by Lancashire people because local residents had seen years of disruption to their lives, and there was considerable cost to the public purse to manage the protests.

‘The new prime minister has lifted the moratorium but has given a clear commitment that fracking will only happen in areas where there is local community support. We welcome this, as it is right that local people should have the final say about whether fracking happens in their area or not. We now need clarity on what local consent means in practice which is why we're writing to the government to ask them.

‘As the body responsible for planning applications for fracking, we need this information so that we can update our policies on how any proposals that come forward will be assessed. We also believe that any planning decisions on fracking should lie with the county council as local representatives are best-placed to understand the needs and wishes of their local communities.’