Fracking: Communities in 79 constituencies across England could still be at risk
• 79 constituencies have at least 1 square kilometre licenced for oil and gas
• Government urged to close fracking loophole in forthcoming Energy Independence Bill, and turn current moratorium into a comprehensive legal ban – in line with Labour’s manifesto pledge
• Interactive map reveals dozens of constituencies at potential risk
Communities across 79 constituencies in England could still be at risk from fracking unless the government closes a major loophole in the current moratorium when it publishes plans “to ban fracking for good”, Friends of the Earth warned today [1].
Although a moratorium on fracking has been in force since 2019 (apart from a brief period under Liz Truss) it does not cover all methods. In particular, it leaves room for applications for certain lower-volume fracking techniques – such as ‘proppant squeeze’– to go ahead.
Fossil fuel companies are already pursuing this type of fracking, including at West Newton in East Yorkshire. Another application at Burniston near Scarborough was rejected in May by North Yorkshire Council, following widespread opposition from the local community and Friends of the Earth.
The government committed in its manifesto to “ban fracking for good” but it is not clear whether its plans, to be announced in the forthcoming Energy Independence Bill, will close the loophole. It has also said it will ban new onshore oil and gas licencing – but this would do nothing for areas already licenced.
Friends of the Earth published analysis in April from leading geologist Professor Stuart Haszeldine of the University of Edinburgh, warning that so-called lower-volume fracking can trigger earthquakes that are just as large and unpredictable as those caused by high-volume fracking. Professor Haszeldine’s report is here – and a summary is here.
The new analysis from Friends of the Earth, published today, lists constituencies with at least part of their area licenced for oil and gas exploration. If a developer were to apply for a low-volume fracking project in any of the currently-licensed areas, then a ban on new oil and gas licences would not prevent that fracking project from going ahead.
Friends of the Earth’s analysis shows:
• There are 79 constituencies in England that have at least 1 square kilometre of their area covered by a current oil and gas licence. These constituencies are in the following regions: Yorkshire & Humber (20), South East (17), North West (15), East Midlands (14), South West (6), West Midlands (5), North East (2).
• 46 of the constituencies currently have Labour MPs, including four cabinet ministers, who were elected following the party’s manifesto pledge to ban fracking. The cabinet ministers are Chancellor of the Exchequer John Healey (Rawmarsh & Conisbrough), Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband (Doncaster North), Health Secretary Yvette Cooper (Pontefract, Castleford & Knottingley) and Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy (Wigan). Also affected is the Lincoln constituency of Foreign Office minister Hamish Falconer, who attends Cabinet.
• Recent MRP polling by More in Common suggests that 60 of the constituencies could have Reform UK MPs following an immediate general election. Reform has backed fracking and called for ‘every last drop’ of UK oil and gas to be exploited.
Friends of the Earth campaigner, Tony Bosworth, said:
“Fracking blights our countryside, won’t cut energy bills, fuels the climate crisis and remains deeply unpopular. If ministers are serious about banning it, they must close the loophole that allows planning applications for lower-volume fracking, such as proppant squeeze, and turn the current moratorium into a comprehensive legal ban.
“Anything less would leave communities in 79 constituencies, over half of which have Labour MPs, still potentially at risk from fracking. Failing to act would reduce the government’s promise to little more than empty words.”
Frack Free Coastal Communities (FFCC) is campaigning against a plan by Europa Oil & Gas to carry out a ‘low-volume’ fracking operation at Burniston, just north of Scarborough.
Prof. Chris Garforth, chair of FFCC’s steering group, said:
"It took almost 1,600 objections, hundreds of people lobbying outside the Town Hall, and a planning committee willing to overrule its own officers to win a planning refusal at Burniston. Most communities won't have those resources, and they shouldn't have to spend their free time battling companies that put profit above health, climate and the environment. The solution is obvious. We need a comprehensive ban."
Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, is a method of extracting oil and gas by pumping liquids deep underground at high pressures to create or widen fractures in the rock to release the fossil fuel trapped inside. A Friends of the Earth fact sheet on fracking is here.
Recent polling (May 2026) by More in Common for the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit found that of people who said they would vote for the Reform UK party in the English local elections on 7th May, more (43%) would back a solar farm than fracking (23%) as the best way to create energy in their local area when asked to pick between the two. Amongst all voters at this year’s local election, three in five (60%) said they would pick solar with just one in ten (10%) picking fracking.
ENDS
Notes:
1. One proppant squeeze application has already been granted in East Yorkshire and more applications are in the pipeline:
• West Newton in East Yorkshire: Rathlin Energy has already had permission granted for the production of oil and gas but applied to the Environment Agency (EA) to be allowed to use proppant squeeze. The EA approved this permit variation to allow proppant squeeze/well stimulation in February 2026. Since then, East Riding Council has voted unanimously against fracking at the site, and a local resident is seeking to overturn permission granted by the Environment Agency.
• Burniston in North Yorkshire: Although North Yorkshire Council has rejected this proposal, the company behind the scheme has said it will appeal.
• Wressle near Scunthorpe in North Lincolnshire: Egdon Resources had its planning application for two more production wells and lower-volume fracking (proppant squeeze) quashed in 2024. A further planning application is yet to be submitted, but the council has stated that an Environmental Impact Assessment will not be required.
2. The list only includes constituencies in England as energy, including fracking, is a devolved matter. This means the Westminster government’s decisions will only apply to England.
3. Apart from a few specific locations, we don’t know where gas and oil companies might want to carry out low-volume fracking, or even which areas they would consider suitable. However, we do know that there is currently nothing in fracking policy or law preventing them from applying to do so in the areas we have identified.
Low volume fracking can take place in different rock types, not just shale – for example Carboniferous sandstones and Permian carbonate rocks present at the proposed fracking site at Burniston – and can involve different processes that are not currently covered by the fracking moratorium. These are:
* Low-volume fracking, also known as a "proppant squeeze", is now being proposed at several sites in England, including Burniston in North Yorkshire.
Bizarrely, under the current definition, the hydraulic fracturing carried out by Cuadrilla at Preston New Road in Lancashire - which triggered the 2.9 magnitude earthquake in 2019 and led to the current fracking moratorium - could itself be classified as low-volume fracking. Fracking at that site was suspended following the earthquake, and an enforcement notice was issued against Cuadrilla (in June this year) for them to restore the site. However, in principle, Cuadrilla or any other fossil fuel promoter, could apply to carry out a similar type of operation again, despite the moratorium.
* Acid fracturing, whereby small volumes of fluid are used to push acid into the rock formation. This has been used at Horse Hill in Surrey. Seismicity was recorded at Horse Hill following the use of this technique.