COUNCILLORS are being urged to approve controversial plans for a gas pipeline through North Yorkshire in the face of 150 objections, some fearing it will open the door to 'fracking'.

Those opposed to the scheme warn the plan sets a precedent and claim it could lead to water contamination, earthquakes and pollution.

But North Yorkshire County Council planning officers say the scheme doesn’t propose the use of 'fracking' techniques and that studies found no significant risks to water pollution or land stability.

Members of the authority’s planning committee meet tomorrow (Tuesday, March 31) to consider the scheme by Third Energy and Moorland Energy, which combines and alters existing planning approvals given after a public inquiry.

They want to extract natural gas from an existing test borehole at Ebbertston Moor South, near Malton and build a second borehole for water and re-injection. A 13km underground pipeline would also be built taking the gas to an existing power station at Knapton. Developers say work would take around eight months, providing 50 jobs during construction and three jobs on completion, with gas supplies expected to last around 15 years.

An 80-page report is being considered by the committee. It contains objections which claim:

blob “it will turn the area into a toxic waste dump where nobody would want to live or visit and will cause people to die”.

blob “lt’s troubling that short-term financial gains for a corporation could be seen as more important than other factors such as the long-term future of the environment”

blob “No amount of regulation and conditional permits can stop accidents happening and this application is too risky.”

Concerns have also been expressed by protest groups Frack Free Ryedale and Frack Free North Yorkshire.

Planning officer Alan Goforth, who prepared the report, wrote: "It is important to note that the application does not propose the use of ‘fracking’ techniques and also the North Yorkshire Moors National Park Committee report for the Ebberston Moor South well site includes a planning condition, should permission be granted, which would only permit the extraction of conventional natural gas by conventional drilling methods.”

Permission for the development is also needed from the North York Moors National Park committee because part of it runs through its land. Members last week deferred a decision after saying more information was required.