North Yorkshire confirm fracking application decision date

Third Energy applied to frack for shale gas at a site near the village of Kirby Misperton in May 2015

A decision on whether to allow fracking at a site in North Yorkshire will be taken on 20 May, the county council has said.

Third Energy submitted an application to extract shale gas at a site near Kirby Misperton in Ryedale in May 2015.

The authority said a report on the application had not yet been finalised but it had received more than 4,000 representations about the proposals.

Third Energy said it aimed to "minimise disruption to the local community".

Rasik Valand, chief executive of the company, said: "The hydraulic fracturing and testing is a key step towards determining the viability of producing gas from this hybrid sandstone and shale formation in North Yorkshire."

The county council's decision on the planning application had originally been expected last November but was delayed after the authority requested more information from Third Energy.

The council said it recognised there would be considerable public interest in the decision and was making arrangements to ensure the meeting, at County Hall in Northallerton, was managed "safely and effectively".

Environmental permits have already been granted to Third Energy by the Environment Agency.