BARNSLEY Council leader Sir Steve Houghton has vowed to protect the borough from any future attempts of fracking after councillors voted for a motion which called for a permanent ban on what was described as a ‘very real threat’ to the town.

Formal opposition was approved, following a motion which was put forward by Couns James Higginbottom and Kevin Osborne, which set out concerns about the potential environmental and social impacts of hydraulic fracturing.

The motion states that without a permanent prohibition, applications could re-emerge under a future administration.

Fracking - currently only limited by a suspension on ministerial decisions to grant licences - has been suspended numerous times over the last few decades, most recently in 2022, over concerns about its environmental impact.

But Reform UK said it would bring back fracking and has threatened to ‘wage war’ on renewables developers if it wins power.

Coun Houghton called out those with a pro-fracking stance - just weeks after Reform-led Lancashire County Council refused to call on the government for a permanent ban - and said Barnsley would be resolute on its position.

“People haven’t been as interested because there’s been a moratorium on this to prevent it - if that goes you can bet they will absolutely be interested in fracking.

“If we did have a Reform government, that’s exactly what they’re going to get - Lancashire County Council’s become the latest to withdraw all objections to fracking.

“It is a clear - and present - danger to our community.

“We were inundated with complaints from people that their areas would be undermined by fracking so it is relevant to the people of Barnsley.

“This issue about fracking is interesting: we used to extract a different type of fossil fuel called coal, and 20,000 residents lost their jobs when the pits closed.

“That was done through spite but then we were told ‘oh no, it’s because of climate change’, and then we’re told we can extract gas but not coal?

“It simply adds insult to the injury our people endured all those years ago and I’m sure they do not want this again.

“In terms of disrupting geology, we know in Barnsley that that is a significant effect - we know that fracking damages the structure under our feet.

“Can the guess be pumped out, or will it leak?

“Will fracking disturb any residual any methane deposits under the borough?

“I can remember a period when some of that leaked into the surface and people here were setting it alight to get rid of it - our Environmental Health teams had to go out to gardens while they were burning off gas from the ground.

“We do not want that - in any way, shape or form - as it’s a real risk to our communities.

“We should warn people about what might happen.

“Although people say the government can do what it wants - as it can - we’ll be putting the pressure on any future government that we do not want fracking here in Barnsley, nor across the country.

“There are wider climatic issues surrounding it which I also fully support about the use of fossil fuels, but this is about Barnsley and a threat faces us down the track.

“We’ll send that message to the government to protect our borough.”

Coun Osborne said Barnsley’s stance was more about its people, its history and its future as opposed to being political.

“Fracking is not progress, it’s a risk to our water, our air, our land and our wellbeing,” he added.

“Barnsley Council has already taken a stand - we’ve said no to fracking on council-owned land - but we can go further.

“We say no to fracking anywhere in our borough, not because it’s unpopular but because it’s unsafe, unsustainable and unnecessary.

“Fracking increases the risk of flooding, contaminates water supplies, pollutes the air and causes tremors and earthquakes.

“Reform UK openly supports fracking and opposes investment in renewables.

“That’s not just a policy difference, it’s a values difference.

“Their approach is reckless and out of touch with the needs and wishes of communities like ours.

“Barnsley won’t be fracked and it won’t be fooled.

“Barnsley will be heard and we will not subject our borough to a fracking hell.”

A separate amendment, tabled by the Liberal Democrat group, sought to strengthen the motion by adding references to national energy policy, arguing that fracking would not lower household bills and called for the council to urge ministers to back plans to decouple electricity prices from gas.

The amendment was debated but ultimately voted down.

Coun Chris Wray, who represents the Dodworth ward for the Lib Dems, said: “The fact is that a discussion on fracking is pointless - it has, for all intents and purposes, been banned for a decade.

“All experts say it won’t impact energy bills and the only people who talk about it now are doing it with ulterior motives.

“People care about reducing energy bills and easing the cost of living - that’s it.

“Labour needs to get on board and make people’s lives better.”