North Yorkshire County Council planning officer Vicky Perkin has now finished her presentation after about two-and-a-half hours.

The summary is that the county's planners recommend that councillors give the go-ahead to proposals by Third Energy to fracking at a site near Kirby Misperton in Ryedale.

There'll now be a break of about 15 minutes - "to let Vicky get her breath back", as the chairman says - before she'll face questions from councillors and they come to their final decision.

Sarah Urwin
BBC Radio York News

As planning officer Vicky Perkin outlines Third Energy's noise management plan, to councillors inside County Hall and indicates her understanding that "air quality, ground water and noise will continue to be monitored', a number of protestors against fracking remain outside, awaiting a decision later this evening.

Phil Bodmer
Journalist, BBC Look North

North Yorkshire County Council planning committee members have also seen details of a "traffic management assessment" for HGVs using the proposed well at Kirby Misperton.

Elly Fiorentini
BBC Radio York News

Councillors are continuing to listen to North Yorkshire planning officer Vicky Perkin's presentation at County Hall as they meet to decide on plans to start fracking in Ryedale.

They've been told bird nest boxes and bat boxes would be provided by Third Energy.

They've also been shown slides of how the local landscape would be affected.

This is what they were told the view on Habton Road would be if work begins at Kirby Misperton.

Danni Hewson
Business Correspondent, BBC Look North

Today is not just about one little corner of North Yorkshire. The decision made by North Yorkshire County Council could fire the starting gun on hydraulic fracturing across the country.

The government and industry want this to go ahead, both for energy security but also for the economic benefits and job creation it could bring.

Those opposed question all those purported benefits and cite concerns about water and air contamination, earthquakes and the industrialisation of rural England.

Image source, PA

Those giving testimony against have stressed Ryedale's reliance on food, farming and tourism. They've expressed a fear all of those would be harmed by allowing the process to go ahead.

This is a decision of national significance but the planning committee must set that aside and judge this application on its individual merits.

This site is already an existing well site. It is just a test. Even if it's successful, it could have far reaching consequences.

Councillors in North Yorkshire are meeting again today to continue considering plans to start fracking on a site near Kirby Misperton.

The County Council's planning committee is meeting in Northallerton and is currently hearing a somewhat technical presentation from the authority's planning officer Vicky Perkin.

You can view the agenda and the report for the meeting here, external and you can watch proceedings as they happen right here:

Elly Fiorentini
BBC Radio York News

Ryedale B&B owner Lorraine Allinson provoked an angry response from fracking objectors at County Hall in Northallerton earlier.

It came after she questioned how many of the protestors are actually from North Yorkshire.

This was the response from outside:

Back to our main story now: councillors meeting in Northallerton to decide whether to give the green light to fracking plans in Kirby Misperton.

The fracking issue in North Yorkshire isn't just of interest within the county itself. It seems it's attracting nationwide media attention:

Leaving the fracking decision meeting for a moment, we have the latest on a story we mentioned earlier.

A North Yorkshire restaurant owner found guilty of manslaughter after a customer died from an allergic reaction to peanuts has been sentenced to six years in prison.

Image source, North Yorkshire Police

A jury found Mohammed Zaman, 53, of Aylesham Court, Huntington, guilty earlier today after a trial at Teesside Crown Court. 

Paul Wilson, 38, suffered a severe reaction after buying a curry from the Indian Garden in Easingwold.

Vicky Perkin, North Yorkshire County Council's planning officer, is continuing to go through her report to councillors which recommends proposals for fracking in Ryedale should go ahead.

Councillors are due to make a final decision on the plans by Third Energy later this evening, after hearing two days of pro- and anti-fracking views at a meeting at County Hall.

You can view the meeting's agenda and the report for the meeting here, external.

Sarah Urwin
BBC Radio York News

North Yorkshire County Council's planning officer Vicky Perkin is now presenting her report to the meeting to decide on proposals to start fracking at Kirby Misperton in Ryedale.

We're told to expect photos.

Ms Perkin is now going through Third Energy's application.

Councillors in North Yorkshire are meeting again today to continue considering plans to start fracking on a site near Kirby Misperton.

The County Council's planning committee is meeting at County Hall in Northallerton

You can view the agenda and the report for the meeting here, external and you can watch proceedings as they happen right here:

Protestors remain outside County Hall in Northallerton as the meeting to decide whether fracking in Ryedale should get the go-ahead continues.

Image source, PA

Image source, pa

Sarah Urwin
BBC Radio York News

Just before the break, Rasik Valand, CEO of Third Energy, told North Yorkshire County Council's planning committee that the firm's application to start fracking near Kirby Misperton in Ryedale is "thorough, considered and complete, with no short cuts".

Mr Valand said the "negative" campaigning of objectors to fracking will "do more damage to tourism in the Kirby Misperton area than the fracking itself".

His final wish, he told the committee, is that the application only be reviewed "on its merits".

"I urge you to please determine this application in line with the recommendation of your planning officers," he added.

Sarah Urwin
BBC Radio York News

This is some of what North Yorkshire B&B owner Lorraine Allinson told the committee deciding on whether to give the green light to fracking near Kirby Misperton.

She started by citing the fears which were raised over the Knapton generating station more than 20 years ago, and said "those scare stories never came to anything".  

After questioning how many of those against fracking were actually from North Yorkshire, she said "people are blatantly encouraged to ignore the professionals and instead listen to a fashion designer, and use emotive actions and their politics to condemn a whole industry."

At the meeting of North Yorkshire county councillors who are set to decide later whether to give the go-ahead to fracking in Ryedale, several statements have been read out by the clerk.

Among those was a rural tourism operator who believes the shale gas industry will benefit local businesses and local jobs.