Reacting to the Government’s decision today (Friday 21 June) to allow local councils to continue making decisions on shale gas production, Friends of the Earth’s Energy Campaigner Tony Bosworth said:

“The Government’s move to keep any future shale gas production decision-making in the hands of democratically-elected local councils is spot on.

“The concerns of local people about the impact of fracking locally and globally must be fully heard.”

ENDS

Notes to editors

1. Today it was announced, following the consultation, that decision-making on onshore oil and gas production will stay with county and unitary councils. These councils also make decisions about oil and gas exploration. For more information please see here.

2. The Government consulted last year on proposals as part of the Growth and Infrastructure Bill to define some categories of business and commercial projects as ‘nationally significant infrastructure’ under the 2008 Planning Act. This would mean that planning proposals would be considered by the Planning Inspectorate rather than by democratically-elected local councils. Onshore oil and gas production – including shale gas - was one of the categories.

3. Please see Friends of the Earth’s map showing existing and potential fracking sites in the UK.