A COUNCIL which has repeatedly declared its opposition to fracking is set to decide how to respond to proposals about a new shale gas wealth fund.

Ryedale District Council members will agree on how to respond to a Government consultation on proposals, which would see ten per cent of tax revenues arising from fracking at sites such as the approved scheme at Kirby Misperton, near Pickering, to be used for the benefit of the surrounding community.

The consultation also proposes that fracking should leave a legacy of local and regional economic growth.

The document has been welcomed by gas company Third Energy.

A spokesman for the firm said: “Third Energy, which has been producing gas and energy safely and securely in North Yorkshire for over 20 years, is a firm believer that the local community should benefit from any unconventional gas production in the local area.”

Last month, a spokesman for Frack-Free Ryedale said: “This is a cynical attempt by the Tories to bribe local people to accept fracking by offering them hard cash.”