Ecology and geology
North Yorkshire County Council
North Yorkshire County Council's (NYCC) Ecology Service provides an objective approach to nature conservation in North Yorkshire. Ecological advice is given to the planning system, including advice on developments, mineral applications, bats and bridges and Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC).
For further information visit the North Yorkshire County Council website.
Fracking
Please note, NYCC is the planning authority for any application for fracking in the County. Ryedale District Council is a statutory consultee in respect of any minerals applications, or a consultee on the minerals and waste local plan.
Planning consent was given in May 2016 to the company Third Energy, to hydraulically fracture for shale gas.
As part of the decision by NYCC planning committee, mitigation of the effects of the development were required to safeguard the natural environment, protect species and habitats and the amenity of local residents (including light and noise mitigation), protect ground and surface water quality. A traffic management plan also had to be agreed, which related to the prevention of mud on roads and to the financial commitment required of Third Energy, or any subsequent owner of the site, to deliver the restoration and aftercare of the development.
Third Energy have now discharged these planning conditions, which will be carefully monitored throughout the operation. There are a series of conditions to meet for a number of other agencies including the Environment Agency, Health and Safety Executive and Oil and Gas Authority.
The role of the County Council now is to ensure that the planning conditions are fully discharged and they will be carefully monitoring the discharge of the planning consents and responding to questions and concerns that are raised.
Both the County Council and the Police are providing information online, through dedicated webpages, including updates on frequently asked questions and answers to queries from the local community.
Contacting the Regulators
Environment Agency
Please report incidents that relate to waste management, odour or pollution of local water courses to our 24-hour Incident hotline 0800 80 70 60. For general enquiries e-mail the team at yorkshireoil& and for information on the regulation of Third Energy see the Environment Agency website.
North Yorkshire County Council
To report issues relating to compliance with planning conditions including traffic, noise, dust and light pollution please e-mail the team at
Ryedale District Council
Most matters are covered by the Environment Agency and the County Council however Environmental Health Officers can be contacted at
Health and Safety Executive
Safety on the drilling site, including well integrity, is regulated by the Health and Safety Executive.
Oil and Gas Authority
The Oil and Gas Authority regulate seismic risks from hydraulic fracturing through a traffic light monitoring system. Information relating to their role can be found at on their website and they can be contacted at .
Public Health England
Public Health England has an advisory role on the potential public health impacts of exposures to chemical and radioactive pollutants as a result of the shale gas extraction process. Email
Operators hotline
Third Energy’s contact details can be found on their website.
Fracking Parish Liaison Meeting - Wednesday 22 October 2014
A presentation on Fracking was made by Vicky Perkin, Head of Planning Services at North Yorkshire County Council. (PDF, 43 pages, 3.017MB).
Unpacking Fracking - 4 February 2015
A public meeting to learn more about fracking was held at the Milton Rooms, Malton on Wednesday, 4 February 2015.
The meeting was recorded to enable people who were unable to attend the event the opportunity to hear the discussion, both the audio and video are attached below.
Please note: the audio recording is in two separate files. There is a small break in the recordings where the CDs were changed.
- January 2015 letter from DECC re fracking (PDF, 21 pages, 299kb)
- Shale gas and fracking: examining the evidence (PDF, 16 pages, 381kb)
- Review of the potential public health impacts (PDF, 60 pages, 703kb)
- Professor Richard Davies, Newcastle University (PDF, 13 pages, 1495kb)
- Mike Hill, Chartered Electrical Engineer (PDF, 25 pages, 1752kb)
- Chris Redston, Frack Free Ryedale (PDF, 54 pages, 3239kb)
- John Dewar, Third Energy (PDF, 1 page, 510kb)
Recordings
Please note: the audio recording is in two separate files. There is a small break in the recordings where the CDs were changed.
