Councillors and the local MP have raised concerns about the ‘detrimental’ impact of a ‘fracking loophole’ over possible plans for a drilling rig and gas exploration in Burniston on the Yorkshire coast.

Councillors have pressed North Yorkshire Council leaders to support closing a loophole which they say allows “fracking by the backdoor” and could have a “detrimental” impact on the coast’s natural heritage.

It follows the submission of planning documents by Europa Oil and Gas seeking a screening opinion over the drilling of a “lateral borehole” for the “purposes of conventional gas exploration” in Burniston, Scarborough.

Speaking at a full meeting of the council on Wednesday, July 24, Coun Tony Randerson said: “Would you agree that the request by Europa Oil and Gas to undertake a proppant squeeze on the edge of the North Yorkshire Moors is indeed fracking by the backdoor?

“Would you also agree that if granted, this would fly in the face of North Yorkshire Council’s climate change strategy?”

He also called on the authority to support a cross-party letter to the Government “calling for the loophole to be closed”.

Coun Greg White, NYC’s executive member for managing the environment, said it would be “inappropriate for me to comment on live planning applications”.

He added: “Members will recall that whilst as a council we have remained neutral on the principle of shale gas extraction, our hard-fought minerals and waste plan does include strong provisions designed to protect local communities and businesses if the permission to mine were ever to be sought.”

Europa Oil and Gas has said that “in order to determine the potential reserves of gas, it will be necessary to undertake a proppant squeeze” which would take up to 17 weeks, with further flow testing of 15 weeks.

The papers state that a land rig would include a 30m high derrick.

Coun Rich Maw said: “Given that we know that a proppant squeeze sits outside this definition [of fracking] and it is a term now used by prospectors, this may now allow an applicant to apply for permission to test for gas while sitting safely just outside of the moratorium.”

He further probed the executive asking whether such a scheme would “sit at odds” with council policy and whether there was concern “about this phraseology and do you recognise it as a loophole?”

The executive member for managing the environment, Coun White, reiterated that he could not comment on “live applications” but added: “The council remains committed to reducing its own direct impact on climate change and to providing leadership to others living and working here.”

Alison Hume, MP for Scarborough and Whitby, also wrote to the government this week to highlight the issue and ask when “legislation banning fracking in all of its forms” would be introduced.

In a letter to Ed Miliband, the secretary of state for energy security and net zero, Ms Hume said there seemed to be “a lacuna in the legislation” which would “avoid the legal definition of fracking”.

The MP added: “The impact of such a drilling operation would be felt massively[…] and would be detrimental to our mission to tackle climate change.”

Documents by Europa Oil and Gas state that its “proposed development is not likely to have significant environmental effects” based on the “relatively short duration of the drilling operations”.