High Court gives green light for fracking near theme park

Anti-fracking campaigners have lost a High Court battle to stop a controversial well in Ryedale.

Mrs Justice Lang ruled on Tuesday that North Yorkshire County Council had assessed the impact to climate change when it approved the Third Energy well near Flamingo Land.

Campaigners have said they will not give up the fight to stop the controversial method being undertaken in Ryedale.

Claimant in the case, Reverend Jackie Cray, said: “I’m obviously disappointed in the verdict but it doesn’t end here.

“There is no support in North Yorkshire for this risky industry.

“We will continue to campaign on behalf of local communities for the sake of our children and their children’s health and well-being, and the long term prosperity of our area. We are not prepared for Ryedale to become a sacrifice zone for the sake of industry greed.”

Third Energy said it welcomed the decision.

Rasik Valand, chief executive of Third Energy, said: “The permission places a great obligation on Third Energy to prove that we can carry out the test fracks in the same safe, discreet and environmentally sensitive way that we have conducted our gas exploration and energy generation activities over the past two decades.

“We are confident that we will prove to the local community that their elected representatives were right to grant this permission. We look forward to the results of the test fracks which will help establish whether gas can be produced from deeper and tighter rock formations at the Kirby Misperton site.”