Dozens of new areas of northern England have today been thrown open to fracking after the government awarded new oil and gas licenses.
Twenty-seven exploration licenses each covering 100 square kilometres have been awarded in the latest tranche. They cover areas near Nottingham, Sheffield, Lincoln and Preston, and could pave the way for a major expansion of shale gas production in Britain.
A further 132 locations, including parts of the Isle of Wight, Dorset and Somerset have also been earmarked for future development subject to further environmental impact studies.
The government claims a fracking boom could create tens of thousands of jobs and inject billions of pounds into local economies.
But opponents fear its environmental impact and have warned of possible water contamination and the