I FEEL I must write to express my dismay at the decision made by North Yorkshire county councillors on May 23 to allow fracking to take place at the KM8 well site at Kirby Misperton (D&S Times, May 27).

Local parish and town councils, Ryedale District Council and local residents have voiced their opinion over previous months to ban fracking or at least to have a moratorium. There have been 4,375 letters written to the council against fracking and only 36 letters in favour.

There have been numerous articles and letters in the local newspapers expressing concern about how fracking will affect our area of Ryedale in the long term, with tourism, agriculture and our rural way of life being destroyed by industrialisation of our countryside.

At the meeting, there were many speakers who eloquently and bravely spoke of their concerns.

It was understood that this was a decision for an application for a test frack but it’s implication went far beyond that as it includes production for nine years and it has set a precedent for the area to be opened up to the gas industry, not only for Third Energy but for other companies waiting in the wings.

This decision, as Councillor Peter Sowray said at the start of the proceedings, was one of the most important they had ever had to consider.

Well, Cllr Sowray, democracy has not been seen to be done. You and your colleagues ignored local opinion and voted for an industry which will change our landscape forever, not only in Ryedale, but the rest of Yorkshire, indeed the rest of the UK.

Anne Nightingale, Helmsley