FRODSHAM Town Council will object to any shale gas fracking on land within its jurisdiction until it is convinced of the safety of the process.
The decision was made following a presentation to the council by Michael Garvey, of Frack Free Frodsham and Helsby (FFFH).
Afterwards, FFFH, in a statement, welcomed the decision.
A spokesperson for the group said: “We are very pleased with the outcome of this vote; it demonstrates that councillors are finally listening to the people they represent.
“By making this declaration councillors have joined a growing number of councils that recognise the risks associated with the extraction of Unconventional Gas.
“It is time for other councils to act, not least due to the submission of a planning application for an exploratory well at Ellesmere Port. The impact of a fracking well, or indeed the many hundreds of wells that necessitate such a land-hungry industry, will be felt acutely by our communities. Residents will not be immune to the considerable increase in traffic from HGV movements, the further reduction in air quality, industrialisation of the surrounding countryside, risk of water and land contamination, and the resulting effects on property prices and local businesses. For councils to remain silent on this matter is no longer acceptable.”
A survey of residents’ attitudes towards fracking, carried out by FFFH last year, showed 77.7 per cent of residents were opposed to Unconventional Extraction of Gas and Oil (fracking).
The actual resolution approved by the Town Council is: “Without prejudice to Frodsham Town Council Planning Committee, the Council objects to the carrying out of shale gas or coal methane testing or extraction on land within the jurisdiction of Frodsham Town Council.”