CITY of York Council has objected to Government plans to “fast-track fracking”.

The Government invited local authorities to have their say on controversial plans which would see shale gas exploration treated as permitted development - meaning applications could bypass the local planning system.

Cllr Andrew Waller (Lib Dem, Westfield), the council’s Executive member for environment, was asked to approve the council’s response, opposing the plans, at a meeting on Monday.

Cllr Lars Kramm (Green, Micklegate), supported the council and said if fracking applications were given permitted development rights, it would make applying for shale gas exploration as easy as putting up a garden shed or conservatory.

He said: “The council should stress that permitted development was clearly intended for small-scale domestic developments with a low level of environmental impact. Permitted development is not for new industrial development. Gas drilling is an industry, not a garden shed.

“The final decision maker on national infrastructure proposals is the Secretary of State and it is the Government that is fast-tracking fracking.”

He said the plans were an attempt to “avoid local scrutiny” and added it is “urgent that we move away from fossil fuels, not encourage and promote their extraction.”

The council’s response said shale gas exploration should not be given permitted development rights.

Cllr Waller, speaking at the meeting, said: “I think that’s a response that’s very widely held in the city. It has such an importance to the future of the city. I think there’s very strong views on fracking and the Government has very strong views on the benefits of shale gas exploration.”

Cllr Danny Myers (Labour, Clifton), supported the council’s response and said: “This report is very welcome. We strongly oppose granting planning permission for fracking through permitted development rights.”

York Conservative group also responded to the Government’s consultation on fracking, saying the proposals are “wholly inappropriate” and have the potential to “irreparably damage residents’ confidence in the fairness of our planning system”.

Cllr Paul Doughty (Conservative, Clifton) said: “We believe that applying permitted development rights to large-scale processes such as fracking is just wrong.”